Finland's Diaries: Full Version
by Salmiakkirae
Summary: Some time ago I uploaded a story which title was Finland's Diaries. It was a modified version, so I thought I could upload the original version here as well. It's Finland's diary from the beginning to this day.
1. Swedish Time Part 1

**June 19, 1318**

The sun is shining brightly, but I need to sit inside and write! It's because Sve said, that I need to practice my writing, or otherwise I won't grow up to be big and strong. He can't write very well himself, so why I'm the only one who needs to stay inside? I think at the moment he's somewhere outside, practising to use his sword better.

And I even needed to start to write these diaries from the very beginning. It's because something really bad happened about a week ago. I haven't yet recovered from it. It was that Novgorod! I mean, nowadays Novgorod is arguing more with Sve than with me, because I live with Sve now. During their last fight all of my earlier diaries were destroyed. Novgorod burned them all! He burned the whole town, only one castle survived! He loves to play with fire too much.

And... by the way, it's weird that sometimes it feels like Sve and that mean big kid (well, he's not always mean, he used to trade nice shiny stuff with me, but not anymore because he wears a different cross than us. And sometimes I was the one who was mean to him too) know each other quite well.

* * *

**August xx, 1319**

Norway moved in with us! He's Sve's old friend, at least I think so, Sve said they used to sail a lot together - He, Nor, and Denmark, who he called as an annoying guy.

Nor and Sve are now both responsible for the household, I don't have a status of a country so I don't really count - I'm not on the map. So I don't really need to worry about such things.

Anyway, Nor had his little brother Iceland with him. He's cute and he's even smaller than I am! And he's carrying a huge egg with him all the time. I wonder what will hatch from it? He said that a "puffin", but I have no idea what that is... Oh, I said he can call me his big brother if he wants, but he just stared at me and said he doesn't even know me. I know, but does that really matter that much? They all look so serious all the time.

* * *

**August 12, 1323**

Sve and Novgorod got finally tired of fighting. There's been constant battles, but now they signed a peace treaty. It's good, because those fights made us both exhausted! I wanted to say something about the treaty too, but they ignored me because I'm smaller than they are. They told me to go somewhere to play when they do the talking - not fair, because they are not adults either... but I'm growing more slowly than they are. I wonder why?

But from now on, there's a border which I and Sve should not cross. Neither should Novgorod. I'm not sure will this work, that new border splitted even villages half.

* * *

**September 6, 1328**

It's been five years since the border treaty, and now Sve thinks that the treaty with Novgorod is no good. He wants to increase our area. Novgorod isn't keeping his part of the deal either, so Sve doesn't think we are the ones who will break it first. Fighting between us will continue, I guess. It makes me feel weak. Everything will be destroyed again. But maybe I'll grow to be bigger too.

The clear scent of autum is already here, even if everything is still green. Soon everything will be yellow, red, and brown again.

* * *

**August xx, 1337**

Sve said, that relations between France and England are getting worse. He hopes that it won't affect us. Sve also said that they're always fighting, so this is nothing new - he thought that the next battle will last at least hundred years, it's apparently possible when it's about those two. I haven't really met either of them, so I wonder what they are like? Really muscular men with dirty hair and detached teeth? Scary!

* * *

**September xx, 1349**

Norway is ill. It's something really serious. Sve said it's the same deadly disease that many other nations in Europe and elsewhere already have. I think he said it's called as the Black Death, or something creepy like that. Nobody knows why Norway got ill, but Iceland is sure his big brother got it from the English ship. He told us a creepy story about a ship, where the crew was already dead when it arrived to the port.

It's not like diseases will affect the whole nation if only few people get ill, but Norway is so pale it seems to be really dangerous even to him.

* * *

**August xx, 1355**

Norway and Iceland moved to their own house, even though Norway isn't still very healthy. Now I and Sve live together again. The house is really not much quieter than it used to be - those three don't really talk that much.

* * *

**February 15, 1362**

This is so great! More than great! Sve said I'm already old enough to take part to the king elections! I can choose with him who will be our next leader! This is so fun! Our boss said it was because He has noticed me to be dear and loyal, and that's why I deserve this right too! The king has noticed me! I can't believe this!

I... just wish He would stop calling me as Österland. Finland sounds much better to me, Sve uses it sometimes. Even if I can't pronounce "F" and "D" properly... And nobody can pronounce my real name, Suomi, properly...

* * *

**March xx, 1380**

I heard that Norway moved in with Denmark. And I guess Iceland will follow everywhere he goes (a little bit like I follow Sve). Maybe he's still too ill, and he can't live alone after all? Or maybe it's because it's safer to live in bigger households these days?

* * *

**June 27, 1397**

Now this is something weird. We all - Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland and I - moved together some time ago. It was Sve's, Denmark's, and Norway's idea, no one asked me or Iceland about this because we're not real countries, and this is supposed to be the union of great countries, not a kindergarten (Denmark said so)... The name of our union is simply the Kalmar Union. The Bacon Alliance would have been so much better, if you ask me.

I think Denmark thinks he's the leader of this union. He said he's the most experienced and sophisticated out of the three, so it's only natural that he's the head of the union. Sve doesn't like to take orders from Denmark, that's clear, but I hope everything will be alright. This is kinda exciting!

I also suddenly remembered that Estonia moved in with Denmark almost at the same time as I moved in with Sweden. So, I asked Denmark if Estonia is here too. He said he sold Estonia already some time ago to the Teutonic Order! He sold my old friend and got 19 000 Köln marks! He said he desperately needed some money! And that Estonia was way too difficult anyway, always rebelling against him.

However, Sve said that Denmark actually lost Estonia in a battle with the Teutonic Order, and instead of trying to get him back, he sold him. He also said, that maybe I shouldn't go too near Denmark. Just in case. Norway seems to keep an eye on Iceland too.

* * *

**May 4, 1400**

Now Iceland is very ill, it's the Black Death again. Norway is afraid Iceland will die, his condition is even worse than Norway's was. Sve and I have been quite Ok during this whole pandemia. Not perfectly healthy, but not so ill as Iceland. Denmark got it from Norway or England, he's not sure from who.

* * *

**December xx, 1478**

I'm not sure what happened, but Novgorod said he isn't Novgorod anymore. From now on he's the Grand Duchy of Moscow. (why I have a weird feeling, that I've known him only by his local name before this...). He said that the Golden Horde will soon meet his end because he's now more united and stronger than ever.

I don't understand what he was talking about, and I don't like this at all. Sve is also a bit worried... He said, that Muscovy is living unwillingly with a really scary nation, but whatever will happen, the Golden Horde can't really get here because the swampy terrain is no good for their horses and it's too cold for him. That's also why Muscovy is the most free when he's in north. Too bad he doesn't like cold weather very much either.

* * *

**September 9, 1495**

Bad news. I and Sve are again at war with Novgo... I mean with the Grand Duchy of Moscow? Denmark schemed earlier something with him and... Denmark said he may have accidentally promised me or pieces of me to him, if he helps him with Sve's king elections. Sve is furious.

Denmark tried to explain, that he didn't even mean to keep his end of the bargain, he just didn't guess that Muscovy would actually attack! You should have seen Sve's face back then!

In the battle field, the situation doesn't look too good for us right now, even though we have successfully repelled his attacks.

* * *

**November 30, 1495**

Today happened something really weird. I and Sve were surrounded and the battle seemed lost, when suddenly something exploded. The explosion was so huge that the Grand Duchy of Moscow and his soldiers escaped as fast as they could without turning round.

It was quite scary actually (but cool). Later, we hear that his soldiers were sure the saint was protecting the town because today is the feast of St Andrew. I'm not sure what that explosion was, but Sve was sure I was playing with magic again. But I wasn't, I swear. Sometimes he still suspects me about witchcraft, even if I promised to take his cross. It's not like in the past, when I seriously thought that the world was born when the duck layed an egg and it exploded, creating everything that's around us... when I still believed in magic and other nonsense (Norway still believes in magic... he seriously thinks it's real).

The war is still not over. They will come back, I'm sure of it.

* * *

**October xx, 1509**

I hate this! Sve and Denmark don't come along at all! Denmark has robbed my stuff since 1506, and now he attacked to one of my cities and stole all the treasures from my cathedral (not that I have many treasures anyway). He said he needs money. Worst roommate ever! Pirate! He's a pirate! And I'm afraid Sve and he will kill each other some day.

Oh, and by the way, last year Sve and Novgorod-Moscow-what-ever signed a peace treaty for 60 years. I hope it will last.

* * *

**June xx, 1518**

Ha ha! My population is now about 200 000! I'm bigger than ever! But... Sve is still bigger, his population is about 600 000...

* * *

**November 10, 1520**

Sve and Denmark have been really awful towards each other, and during the last few days things have become even worse. Sve said he wants to leave the Kalmar Union and Denmark beated Sweden really badly and locked him up. I'm not sure what should I do. I mean, Denmark is the leader, but I have always been with Sve... at least as long as I can remember. Who should I listen?

* * *

**June 6, 1523**

Sve's people started a rebellion about two years ago and Sweden finally managed to escape from Denmark. Fighting is still going on and Denmark locked me to our old room because he's sure Sve wouldn't leave me here. I'm not allowed to leave anywhere alone... Denmark expects Sve to come to rescue me.

This has been the longest time I have been separated from Sve since he took me with him. I kinda hope he will come back. I don't want to stay here alone.

* * *

**September xx, 1523**

Sve came back and helped me to escape, too! It was something you could call as the great escape! We went through the windows and there was a lot of fighting and cursing and... We tried to steal horses, and ride away, but we failed. But somehow we still managed to shake off the pursuers.

Well, now I and Sve are just wandering through the lands. And... I'm not sure why, but he's scarier than I remembered. Maybe because I saw the wrath he had towards Denmark, and because we were separated earlier... His stare is awful! Maybe I should run from this alliance? But then again, I don't think he's a bad person. He's just... looks scary.

And there are more frightening nations than him. They are not just staring at you.

Oh, by the way, Norway and Iceland stayed with Denmark, but the Kalmar Union is definitively over.

* * *

**January xx, 1547**

The Grand Duchy of Moscow isn't the Grand Duchy of Moscow anymore. Nowadays he is the Tsardom of Russia. He's growing really fast! And apparently he likes to change his name all the time... He makes me nervous. Sve is not so worried about him, he thinks he's still a weakling.

* * *

**March xx, 1554**

Relations between Russia and Sweden are awful... Russia refuses to talk with Sve directly, because he thinks Sve is just a small nation who just won indepencence from Denmark, and because our king is a descendant of farmers and his leaders are descendants of sovereign rulers of great empires. Sve said Russia has lost his mind completely.

They also have some disagreements about with whom should Estonia and Latvia live with. Denmark, Norway, Lithuania and Poland are also arguing about the same matter. I don't understand why Denmark and Norway are involved. Denmark was the one who sold Estonia away. So now he wants him back.

* * *

**March xx, 1555**

Russia attacked us! Not sure why, but he had at least 10 000 soldiers and I had about 1000, but luckily, Sve was prepared for this and reinforcements arrived soon.

* * *

**January xx, 1556**

The war continues. Russia's latest attack was huge! I've never seen anything like that before. I and Sve thought this is the end, but suddenly they retreated! I have no idea why. Sve doesn't understand either.

* * *

**May 30, 1563**

Denmark, who is still mad about the Kalmar Union, attacked Sweden today. Denmark was beaten, but Sve is sure this peace will not last long. Nobody leaves Denmark's union like we did, and is left alone...

* * *

**August 13, 1563**

Denmark and his allies declared war against us. So now we're fighting again.

* * *

**May 18, 1573**

Sve and Russia are sending hate letters to each other, so are the bosses. I sometimes wonder, does every real country act like they do, or like Sve and Denmark, or am I just living in a weird corner of the world?

Russia reminded Sve once again, that he's just an insignificant, small kingdom. Today, Sve wrote back. He said that Russia is a tyrant and a liar, and his boss got pig's sanity. I wanted to add "njah-njah-njah" to the letter, but Sve said it doesn't fit to the letter's style.

* * *

**June xx, 1583**

I don't even know where to start! There was a lot of fighting against Lithuania and Poland and Russia and Denmark... But Estonia and Latvia (partially) live with us now! Well, there is still serious arguments with Russia, but otherwise everything seems to be alright. Which is good because I'm really tired.

Sve called me his WIFE. And Estonia and Latvia heard it! Sometimes I don't understand him at all. He was joking, right?

* * *

**February 19, 1592**

I can't believe what is happening now! Sve, I, Estonia and Latvia have now the same king as Poland & Lithuania, (and Belarus, Ukraine, and everybody who are living with them), so we all moved to the same house. Well, the more the merrier, but our earlier union failed because there were two too strong willed members. Poland seems to be quite stubborn, too. Well, and shy.

* * *

**May 18, 1595**

Sve and Russia signed the peace treaty of Teusina! It's time for peace once again and Estonia and Latvia are happy too ~. All is well in the kingdom! At least quite well... there are some problems...

* * *

**November xx, 1597**

I and Sweden had a serious and long argument. It started already last year. I'm so tired of wars, but he doesn't seem to understand at all. I yelled at him and kicked him, and then he slapped me, not hard, but anyway... Now he says he's sorry. This union makes him angry.

Everything is a big mess, and I think Sweden is on the verge of civil war. There are people who don't like our current king and want to replace him. But I like him and I like our new union. It feels safer to have so much people around.

* * *

**July 24, 1599**

Sve got rid of our king and chose a new one. It means that Sve, I, Estonia, and Latvia will have our own house again, and Poland and Lithuania will move to their own house, too. That union didn't last long... Poland doesn't seem to be happy about this. Well, at least his boss isn't happy, and that means Poland can't be happy either. It's the downside of this the-boss-knows-everything-best system.

* * *

**March 12, 1610**

Russia seems to be in a some sort of trouble. He lost a war against Poland, and his boss died some time ago. He didn't have a heir for the throne... Now Poland tries to get somebody from his people or someone from his friends to rule Russia, and Sve has the same intentions. So today we reached Moscow. It was hard, because we needed to fight against Poland and Lithuania along the way.

... ... ...

Author's Notes: This is not supposed to be a history book, so certain mistakes may occur. Dates with xx are uncertain, only the year might be right... or wrong. Sometimes there are different dates xD. I use Sve instead of Su-san because it's weird to make Finland to use honorifics. I also thought Finland should call Denmark as Ta or something similar, but it wasn't very clear who he's talking about. So Sweden is now only one who has a nickname.

- _I practice my writing because_ - Maybe Finland knew how to write, but his people surely didn't know yet... literacy became more common in 1600s, because the clergy wanted peasants to know how to read the Bible (the Bible was the only book written in Finnish back then). And for scholars the language was latin or low German, Swedish become more popular in 1600s. Time for Finnish become officially in 1922. It was supposed to be official already in 1883 , but eh...

- _He used to trade nice shiny stuff with me, but not anymore_ - The Pope kinda imposed a trade blockade on Russia...

- _Novgorod is arguing more with Sve than with me_- the medieval Russian chronicles tell that there used to be lots of conflicts with the finnic tribes (called Sum or Yam or something like that. Finland's Finnish name is Suomi) around this area. They don't tell why there were conflicts and who started them. Conflicts continued after Sweden took this area under its control. Actually, these conflicts may have been one reason why Sweden took control of this area.

- _Novgorod burned them all _- During the Swedish-Novgorodian Wars, all the Swedish documents about Finland got burned when the Novgorod forces burned the city of Åbo/Turku in 1318.

- Novgorod. Maybe he should be his own character instead of being Russia? But then again, it's one piece of future Russia, and I wanted to avoid creating my own characters. So, when the Grand Duchy of Moscow takes over Novgorod, he's just more united.

- _Sve said that I'm already old enough to take part to the king elections _- I'm not sure is "the king elections" the right English word. Sweden had these elections 1275–1457, maybe even earlier. Finland, known as Österland, received the right to send a representative to the king's election in 1362.

- _He's cute and he's even smaller than I am _- there was the Icelandic Commonwealth already in 930, back then Finland was propably only scattered finnic tribes who fought against each other too. But because he seems to be the youngest in Hetalia, well, he's youngest here too. Maybe it's because Iceland was settled so late? He was just ready to be independent when he was just a little kid. Norway said "no way".

- The Black Death wasn't propably called as "the Black Death" back then. But I used it anyway. Sve and I have been quite Ok during this whole pandemia - there are not statistics about this. They may have been better or maybe worse.

- _Now Iceland is very ill, it's the Black Death again _- Half of the sources say it didn't touch Iceland, and the others said it did. No idea which theory is true.

- _But he had at least 10 000 soldiers and I had about 1000 _- Finland didn't have his "own" soldiers. There was only one big Sweden, and soldiers were Swedish or Finnish origin. Well, sometimes in the documents there are mentioned Sweden and Finland, but not very often.

- _Denmark said he might have accidentally promised me or pieces of me to him _- Yes, they wanted Russians to do them a little favor, but they never intended to actually keep that promise.

- _Denmark has robbed my stuff since 1506 _- Denmark returned the treasures in 1925.

- _Denmark locked me to our old room _- A dannish guy named Søren Norby conquered the Finnish coasts. The Finns didn't even resist because it was only Denmark. Not before message from Sweden where they were ordered to "get ready".

- _I and Sweden had a serious and long argument _- The Club War, it was the only "war" "Finland" and Sweden had. Well, if you don't count those crusades or possible earlier conflicts.


	2. Swedish Time Part 2

**July xx, 1610**

Everything is so weird nowadays. Sve is now Russia's ally, and we are trying to beat Poland and Lithuania, who have attacked Russia, and then they declared war against Sweden too. We're not doing very well right now.

* * *

**February 21, 1613**

Russia got tired of all of us. He drove Poland and Lithuania out some time ago, and then he selected a new boss for himself. Sve is still sure his candidate for the throne could still take over. So now we're again fighting against Russia. But Sve is still Russia's ally. This is so confusing!

Sve had a serious argument with Denmark and Norway too. Iceland lives still with them too, but he usually doesn't want to take a position on this kind of issues.

* * *

**February 27, 1617**

Sve and Russia signed the Treaty of Stolbovo today. Negotiations were tough, and England and the Netherlands acted as intermediaries, but finally Sve won a lot of new areas from Russia! But the war against Poland and Lithuania is not over yet. We have some serious disputes about certain regions. Mainly about Estonia and Latvia.

Everybody says, that from now on, Sve is one of the main players on the European field. He is the supreme ruler of the Baltic Sea! And Sve said our new border is safer for me too!

* * *

**November xx, 1630**

I and Sve are fighting again. This time our target is some Germanic kingdoms. We're trying to protect Lutherans from Catholic aggression. At least Sve said so. But why I have a feeling, that we're the ones who are causing the most aggression around here, hm...

I can use my new fighting tactics in the war fields (Sve taught them to me)! Oh, and we're still arguing with Poland and Lithuania too.

* * *

**March xx, 1638**

Spain told us about the new continent, and I and Sve wanted leave the war fields for a while, and build a vacation home there too.

So here we are now! From now on this place' name is New Sweden! But I must say, it's not very imaginative name, Green Pepper Palace! or Blue Jam Nursery would have been much better choices...

Well, here's nothing too interesting, but the nature looks very pretty. Oh, and I saw a small kid too. He wasn't one of the natives, I'm sure of it. He got so scared of us that he ran away. I wonder who he was? Sve asked, do I like kids, and he promised to do his best. His best?

* * *

**June xx, 1655**

The Netherlands stole our vacation home! He had much more people here than we... Well, our people got permission to stay here because they know how to live in simple conditions, but Sve is not ruling the place anymore...

I hope they will be fine here. One of the natives, a young lady who said her name is Lenape (she knows what a sauna is! Kinda...), said that her people and ours could work together and help each other, so I guess they will be Ok.

And I saw that mystery kid once again! He's been running here for quite some time already, spying on us, especially when we built some houses - still small and cute.

England and France, who are also here and to whom I told our story, got interested in him too. They say he might be one of us (and why didn't I figure that out, after 17 years, he's still a kid). So now they are running after the poor boy. I just hope the Netherlands will not find him first. He was in a quite aggressive mood.

* * *

**June xx, 1656**

We have serious troubles with Russia. Sve is somewhere, arguing with Denmark, I guess. He fought against Poland not a too long ago, but now it's Denmark's turn again. Right now, I'm trying with Estonia and Latvia to stop Russia's attacks. Everything is even more hard because that awful plague haunts us. And we're completely alone here in our home!

Latvia suggested, that we could hold him back with a collection of homemade booby traps. We could make the house full of traps... I don't think that would work very well...

* * *

**April xx, 1663**

Sve is not happy. He lost his African colony, the Swedish Gold Coast. And he lost it to Denmark of all of nations. Now it belongs completely to the Danish Gold Coast.

* * *

**February 12, 1700**

This is not good. Not good at all.

Russia, Denmark, Norway, Poland, Lithuania, and Saxony composed the anti-Swedish coalition. They don't like the fact that Sweden is the major power of the Baltic sea area... and the fact we've been robbing their lands and caused havoc for who knows how long. They are planning to attack us...

Estonia, I, and Latvia, well, we are trying to build some defences, and we have managed to keep Saxony out, but there's just too many of them! England and the Netherlands are our allies, but they don't really want to take part to this.

And I don't blame them!

* * *

**August xx, 1700**

England and the Netherlands agreed to support Sve's attack against Denmark after all. Denmark's fleet was surrounded, and now Denmark and Norway are forced out of the game.

* * *

**November 20, 1700**

Russia's forces attacked us in August, but Sve defeated them too! Now he wants to turn against Poland and Lithuania. Although, some could argue that he should make Russia surrender before attacking Poland, but the boss wants it this way. Poland is the bigger threat.

* * *

**May xx, 1703**

This is not good. Sve is fighting in Poland's place, and almost all of our soldiers are there too. Russia, who has gathered his strength once again, has managed to conquer lots of our eastern territories because of this, and he has also started to build a new city there! Sve says we will conquer the areas back. Not sure about that. I, Estonia and Latvia are now almost defenseless, and we also have plague. And we're hungry. So hungry...

* * *

**June 30, 1709**

Bad news again. Sve lost the battle in Poltava against Russia. It was really important battle... Our king managed to escape, but otherwise everything is a mess. Not sure what will happend next. Bad, bad situation.

* * *

**April xx, 1713**

Right now I'm hidding. We have already lost Estonia and Latvia to Russia. His soldiers are everywhere! I'm trying to find a way to go to a safer place, I can't stay here... I thought I heard something a moment ago, but I guess it was nothing. Next, I hav

* * *

**September 12, 1721**

I... I was captured eight years ago by Russia. The worst time of my life, I just want to forget it.

Now I'm with Sve again. I always knew I will be back with him someday, because Russia treated me more as a hostage than anything. He said that because I'm part of Sweden's mainlands, Sve will agree to everything he says to get at least me back. So, now Estonia and Latvia live with Russia and Sve lost a lot of other areas as well. He's upset and I'm not very healthy, to put it mildly.

Russia is now one of the main players in the European field, Sve lost his title.

* * *

**June xx, 1734**

We got a dog! I found her and Sve said we can keep her. I wanted to call her as Blood-Smeared Flower Egg, because it was a cute but also a cool name. Sve said just Flower Egg is enough. Other proposals for her name were Cheese Castle and Sardine Picnic!

* * *

**August 8, 1741**

Sve declared war against Russia. He wants back territories he lost earlier. I don't like this at all. I haven't recovered from the previous war yet.

Our boss said, that I shouldn't complain. If I had a tough time during the last war, it was propably because I had made something sinful, and that harsh occupation was like a punishment for my sins.

* * *

**July xx, 1742**

I'm occupied by Russia again, what a surprise. The war was a disaster for us.

Russia promised to help me to become independent if I don't fight against his soldiers (not that I had much strength to do so anyway), but I think he has already forgotten his promise, or maybe it was only propaganda from the beginning. One part of me wanted this, but one part was against, and I never understood why Russia wanted something like that, so maybe it's good it was forgotten. Otherwise I'm quite Ok. Russia is more angry with Sweden than with me.

I saw Estonia and Latvia again too. They looked quite Ok, but they didn't have much freedom. Neither do I, but I hope I'm only visiting here, not staying.

* * *

**December xx, 1742**

Russia and Sve started peace negotiations today. Russia said to Sve that he will keep me, unless Sve agrees to choose Russia's boss's distant relative to be our new boss. Sve answered, that Denmark has suggested that he, Denmark and Norway could choose the same boss and they could form an union. The war against Russia would continue in this situation, and he would take me back by force.

They are both bargaining and arguing. I would like to run out of here.

* * *

**August 8, 1743**

I'm back with Sve again. Russia returned me to him, and Sve chose Russia's candidate to be our boss and he also gave some more land to him (I'm losing people again). Sve is forried that Russia will interfere in our business more than ever now. He kinda has the right now.

* * *

**October xx, 1743**

Denmark is threatening Sve with war, because he doesn't like the fact that Sve didn't choose his candidate for the throne. We both are too weak at the moment, so Sve needed to ask Russia's help against Denmark. Russia sent some soldiers to protect Sve's borders.

* * *

**April xx, 1747**

Sve's and Russia's relations are awful again. Sve can't stand Russia's bossing behavior towards us... it's like if we were his protectorates. Threat of war is real... Russia also tries to scare me to declare independence from Sweden. He said that he "will hack me into pieces" if I don't do it. He's not very encouraging, I must say. But I don't think he will attack us. It would cause a bigger conflict because now Sve has allies.

* * *

**December xx, 1750**

My population is now about 400 000... But... Sve's population is over 1 700 000. I will never reach him.

* * *

**June xx, 1757**

There's been wars all over the world again. Sve declared war against Prussia too. Right now we're stuck in Pomerania. It seems he's not so easy to defeat.

* * *

**October 30, 1762**

It's peaceful again, peace treaties were signed yesterday. We didn't won anything, but I started to love potatoes during the war. Which is weird because potatoes were almost all I ate during the whole conflict.

But potatoes are great! Really vitamin rich and maybe they could save me from future famines!

* * *

**November xx, 1762**

Maybe it's a good think that Sve isn't a great power anymore. I mean, we don't have to fight so much anymore, and Sve thinks we should improve things on my side too, build fortifications, roads etc. Sve never liked me to have too much roads, especially not on the eastern side of the territory.

* * *

**March xx, 1765**

Sve said, that his doctors think my love for sauna is dangerous. It causes different diseases and makes people taller. That's why Sami is smaller than me, because he doesn't like sauna as much as I do. So I shouldn't go to sauna two times a week anymore. And they also said, that my people bath their kids too often. It's dangerous too.

But I like water... And sauna.

* * *

**September 3, 1783**

America's war against England ended. So this must mean we don't need to protect our ships from the wrath of England anymore. But I must say, that little kid grew up fast!

* * *

**April xx, 1784**

I don't know who spreads rumours about our boss... They say he's thinking ways how he could trade me to Norway with Russia. Sve says this isn't true, and that our enemies are spreading lies. He asked have I ever heard about the saying "Divide and conquer".

But I know he would like to have Norway with us instead of with Denmark. Sve thinks Denmark is bad influence to everybody. But we can't attack Norway because Denmark and Co. are allied with Russia again.

I trust Sve, but our king... I know I shouldn't doubt him, but I can't but wonder is he disappointed in me? Have I done something wrong?

* * *

**June xx, 1788**

I don't understand this. Russia's soldiers attacked me for no reason. Sve was furious and we declared war against him, but we saw hardly any Russian soldiers when we crossed his border. So weird.

* * *

**August xx, 1788**

Denmark and Norway declared war against us because they're Russia's allies. Our boss got a good excuse to retreat from this war front to lead an attack against Denmark. Everything is a mess again. I shouldn't think bad about our boss, but I can't help it... he was almost happy when he heard about this new war.

* * *

**July 9, 1789**

Peace was signed with Denmark and Norway... England and Prussia pressured them to do so. It was good, because Norway almost captured Sve... Ha ha, Sve, who is reading this over my shoulder, says I'm exaggerating things.

* * *

**August 14, 1790**

Sve and Russia signed the peace treaty. By the way, it wasn't Russia who started this war after all. It was our boss's idea to stage an attack against me, so we could have an excuse to start a war. So this was quite embarrassing. And we didn't won anything, but Russia can't interference in our interior affairs anymore.

* * *

**October 19, 1791**

Russia and Sve are allies again. They have something against France and his revolutions, and they promised to help each other if attacked. It's hard to keep up with all these alliances! I'm glad I don't really need to know much about them.

* * *

**March xx, 1801**

Last year, Denmark, Prussia, Sweden and Russia founded an alliance. It was called as the Second League of Armed Neutrality and it was mainly against England, because they wanted to protect their ships from him. But then England thought they are on France's side, he attacked against Denmark and destroyed his fleet completely. Denmark (who was REALLY angry) was forced to leave the alliance, and when Russia's boss was killed he got tired of the alliance too. Now he's more like England's ally. So this alliance is dead already.

Its name was quite impressive.

* * *

**July 7, 1807**

Rumours tell, that France and Russia met in Tilsit today. Nobody knows what they were talking there... Russia lost a battle against France earlier, and that's why they are allies now.

They are scheming something against England, that much is clear. France has collected a lot of new nations to his house, and Sve can't stand him nowadays. So it's only natural we're allied with England now.

* * *

**August xx, 1807**

For some reason, Russia tries to convince Sve to become France's ally, too. Our boss hates France's boss so much I'm sure he will never agree to this. He says that France's boss is the Antichrist.

At first, Russia sounded calm, he chatted casually with Sve, but then he started to sound more and more threatening. And why was he looking at me, I haven't done anything. I don't have the power to make decisions.

... ... ...

Author's Notes: This is not supposed to be a history book, so certain mistakes may occur. Dates with xx are uncertain, only the year might be right... or wrong. Sometimes there are different dates xD. I use Sve instead of Su-san because it's weird to make Finland to use honorifics. I also thought Finland should call Denmark as Ta or something similar, but it wasn't very clear who he's talking about. So Sweden is now only one who has a nickname.

- _We're trying to protect Lutherans from Catholic aggression_ - in 1500s in Finland and Sweden had the Reformation. The king thought it will be cheaper to be Lutheran than Catholic. Nowadays the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland and the Finnish Orthodox Church both have a legal position as national churches in the country.

- _Holland stole our vacation home_ - Maybe I should have used "the Netherlands" instead? I guess it wasn't just that one region. I'll fix this.

- _Her name is Lenape, said that her people and ours could work together and help each other_ - "In 1656, more Finns arrived to America. New Sweden had surrendered to New Netherland, and the Dutch did not look favorably on further immigration from Sweden. However, the Lenape's, who were friendly with the Swedes and the Finns, intervened. They boarded the Mercurius and sailed past the Dutch guns at Fort Casimir (New Castle) and allowed the new settlers to land safely at Tinicum Island. The Dutch didn't dare intervene, for fear of antagonizing the Indians."

- _The worst time of my life_ - Known as the Greater Wrath. The time was probably even worse than it could have been because Finland started a guerrilla war against the occupiers.

- _I always knew I will be back with him someday, because Russia treated me more as a hostage than anything. He said that because I'm part of Sweden's mainlands_ - Well, no, you didn't know that, but the lands that formed Sweden were Götaland, Svealand, Norrland, and Österland (Österland (Eastland) = Finland), so they were emotionally important for Sweden. Finland back then was much smaller than it's today.

-_ Russia promised to help me to become independent if I don't fight against his soldiers_ - In the manifest of the Empress of Russia, she first blamed Sweden for starting the war. She also said, that she doesn't want to blame the people of the Swedish Grand Duchy of Finland about this, but forced by circumstances, she needs to send her army to the country. But not to destroy or torment anybody, and she doesn't even want any pieces of other countries. Then she offered help, if the Grand Duchy wants to be like any other free country. In addition, there was a threat: if Finland helps Sweden, she will totally destroy the country with a sword and fire. But... in the end, there was no talk about independence and Russia kept a piece of "Finland" anyway. Not that the most Finns even wanted to be independent, it was only a minority who wanted that. And later the Anjala conspiracy.

- _But I started to love potatoes during the war_ - Germans brought potatoes to Finland already in 1730, but now they become more popular and in fact saved many lives.

- _Rumours tell, that France and Russia met in Tilsit today_ - nothing was said explicitly about Finland during the Tilsit discussions, but that's no wonder, because the country called Finland didn't even exist back then. It didn't have its own accurate borders or... anything own, except the language. France wanted Russia to convince Portugal, Sweden, and Denmark/Norway to join his continental blockade against Britain - with force, if necessary. And if Sweden doesn't agree, then Russia can occupy Sweden or do anything he likes. Maybe keep his wife.

- Why I write "piece treaty" all the time when I'm supposed to write "peace treaty"?


	3. Years with Russia

**November 5, 1807**

My population is a little bit over 900 000! It's almost a million!

* * *

**February 21, 1808**

Bad news! Russia attacked us about 6 AM this morning. He didn't even declare war, his forces just crossed our border!

Sve said this got something to do with our alliance with England, and Sve's unwillingness to join France's Continental System against him. You see, France can't defeat the Royal Navy, so now he's trying to isolate England from his trading partners. Without anybody to trade, he would be forced to grovel to France's feet.

That's why France and Spain tried to capture Portugal not so long ago, when she refused to join the system. But luckily, her Royal family managed to escape. They are trying to help her...

But right now, I really have other things to worry about... We're under attack.

* * *

**March 14, 1808**

Denmark, who is now France's ally because England attacked him earlier, declared war against us. This isn't good. He haven't attacked yet, but now our troops can't be moved to this war front from there. Sve needs to be extra careful with Denmark and Norway now.

Too much worries at the same time!

* * *

**April 1, 1808**

More bad news! I mean, really bad news! Russia declared to the nations of Europe, that this time he's going to keep me! He haven't even won the war and he says something like that. He must be really self-confident! Or is this an April Fools joke? It can't be, Russia uses different calendar than us. What am I even thinking!

Things are not looking too good for Sve and I, he tries to get some reinforcements here, but the weather is so bad it's hard to transport them. But he said help will come by spring.

My people believe Sve has abandoned us, because our troops are just retreating, leaving them to the enemy - and they need to swore an oath to them. This retreating thing is supposed to be some sort of a tactic, but I guess nobody thought it from the psychological point of view... It causes me to be worried too, uncertain... and some of my people have abandoned Sve, it seems. Some ladies from nobility said, that they don't care where the soldiers are from as long as they know how to dance! Ordinary people are afraid they will become serfs, so they are more than ready to start a fight...

* * *

**June 17, 1808**

More manifests from Russia and his boss... They haven't gotten me yet, and they are still talking the way like they have. They tell to those who are still fighting along with Sweden to surrender, because they will soon lost their patience.

And it's also full of sweet talk. I guess my people could need something like this from the boss... but he's quiet.

* * *

**November 19, 1808**

I'm not sure should I even write this, but I was captured. Right now I'm sitting in a small room in Russia's house.

The promised help never really came by spring, but I guess it was because Denmark declared war... Oh, the boss sent me a message not so long ago, back then when I was still free, where he said that because the situation is critical, our officers don't need to powder their wigs every day! Our boss is mad! I guess I can write this without a bad conscience now.

Sve continues fighting, and there are also my soldiers with him (at least I think so), but I'm stuck. Otherwise I'm fine, at least as fine as a country at war can be.

* * *

**November 30, 1808**

Russia wanted me to meet his boss. He also gave me a tour around his house, and presented me his collection of war trophies from earlier wars with Sve, and other treasures. It was so weird to see our old stuff here.

I decided to act like I'm not scared at all when I met his boss. Being too kind to him could be regarded as treason. I'm still Sweden's, after all. Anyway, his boss was nice to me, even if I was a bit arrogant towards him... He called me Finnish. Usually non-nations call me Swedish. It felt so... weird? Good?

* * *

**March 13, 1809**

Russia told me, that Sve dethroned our king today. It sounds like Sve doesn't believe in his victory anymore either... I'm not sure is it true, but I heard he's tired. Really tired.

* * *

**March 25, 1809**

I don't know was this a wise decision, but I swore an oath of allegiance to Russia's boss today, so he's... now my boss too, I guess. Russia promised once again, that I can keep my old Swedish constitution, and that I can live in a separate side building which is only connected to the main building. I even got my own key. I have never really had anything my own before... I can keep the key, if I behave... but I don't understand why he gave it to me in the first place? I'm not complaining, though.

Well, at least Russia can now brag to France, how calm I am, and how restless Spain is (and how rude it was from France to attack against Spain, he was his ally after all), even though he's the one people usually love to call as a monster. This is a bit dubious honor for me... Their relationship surely isn't as good as it was before...

I wonder how Sve will react to this? I hope he's Ok. I had no right to swear the oath, I'm not a real country, so if Sweden somehow manages to get me back it's not legally binding...

* * *

**September 17, 1809**

Today, Sve and Russia signed the peace treaty. So, now I'm officially the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland. I wanted to go with Russia to meet Sweden when he left to sign the papers, but he didn't let me to come with him. He said I can meet Sve later, but not now.

Russia's house is quite full of people. Estonia and Latvia are here, and I'm not sure when Lithuania ended up here, but here he is. Then there are Russia's sisters and some eastern and southern nations I don't even know. And Lithuania said it looks like Bessarabia will be here soon too.

* * *

**July xx, 1811**

I'm starting to be really good in this self-governing stuff. Sometimes Russia interferes, but not so often. And if I want to do something bigger than just ordinary stuff, I need to ask him first. And of course my Governor-General is always breathing on my neck. I don't like him.

Russia said he wants to join pieces of land he annexed from me before back to my possession. I'm not sure is this a good idea. It would make things somehow more permanent... And some of his people don't like the idea either. I'm a bit afraid of them.

* * *

**June 24, 1812**

France attacked Russia! They tried to be some kind of allies before, but their relations weren't that good in reality. Russia ordered me to stay still and do nothing. Fine, I don't even have an army or weapons. He collected most of them away years ago.

* * *

**August 24, 1812**

Sweden met Russia today. I heard what they were talking. Sweden agreed to be Russia's ally (already in May, but now again) in this war, and he promised he won't try to get me back. Russia said that in that case, he will help Sweden to capture Norway from Denmark after the war (he's really self-confident again!).

I don't know what to think about this. We were together over 600 years, and now he wants Norway! Maybe my people were right; maybe he did abandon us? Maybe the war was agreed-on beforehand? Maybe he wanted to change me to Norway from the very beginning? Or maybe this was his new boss's idea?

Estonia told me to be reasonable; there is no way Sweden could win a war against Russia anymore. I would only get hurt if he tried something like that. I know, and I don't want any new wars, but I'm not in a reasonable mood. I'm confused, there were rumors back then...

Though Sweden did suggest to Russia, that maybe I could live with Sweden during the war. That way Russia wouldn't need to worry about the defence of his northern corner. Russia only laughed at the idea.

* * *

**December 12, 1812**

Russia won the war. It was unbelievable! Moscow was burnt down almost completely!

By the way, during the war, I got a permission to form three 1200 men detachments. They also took part in the war... well, the war was fought completely elsewhere from where they were ordered, but still...

* * *

**January 14, 1814**

I heard that Denmark was ordered to give Norway to Sweden. It was meant to be like a punishment for him, because he allied with France, who now lost the war. Norway didn't take it easily, he said he's not accepting this. He seems to be ready to fight against this... Iceland and some other Norwegian areas are going to stay with Denmark.

* * *

**June 9, 1815**

The Four Great Powers (Austria, England, Russia, and Prussia), France and all the other powers engaged on either side in the present war had series of meetings. Today the Final Act was signed in Vienna.

Russia got permission to keep me and Bessarabia, and he also dragged cursing and hissing Poland with him again. He will be the autonomous Kingdom of Poland (he belongs to Austria and Prussia now, too!). He hates it, but what I have heard, his autonomy will be better than mine... at least on the paper. Bessarabia's autonomy is quite limited, but he got it too.

Sweden got to keep Norway, and other big nations got their share of smaller nations too. I'm not sure was this very fair towards them.

* * *

**September 26, 1815**

Russia, Austria, and Prussia created a coalition today. It's called the Holy Alliance. They are against democracy, revolution, and secularism. England thinks the coalition is stupid, and he's not going to join. The Four Great Powers aren't so united they used to be...

Anyway, together they will monitor other countries, and if they do something unacceptable, they will intervene.

* * *

**September 15, 1819**

The Czar made a tour in my place! He was there almost a month!

He released some prisoners and made people delighted by speaking some sentences in Finnish to them: "I, the Czar", his accent is great! My people nicknamed him Angel a long time ago and still call him by that name.

There were some problems too, once "Angel" needed to eat his breakfast in a barn. I washed it for several hours and decorated it with birch branches. Good thing that the Czar thought it was an exciting place to eat breakfast...

And he almost drowned here, he really should be more careful. But people from the opposite shore were glad that he came to meet them, even if it was dangerous. Especially ladies were glad, they're crazy about him... and he seems to be crazy about ladies, especially really pretty ones (he's married!)... And everybody believes seeing him and especially touching him will bring great luck to them.

* * *

**March 15, 1828**

Bessarabia... lost his autonomy completely. I don't know why. Maybe I should ask him?

* * *

**October 21, 1831**

Poland... started an armed rebellion against Russia about a year ago. Lithuania, Ukraine, and Belarus were also somehow involved in it too.

It was crushed. Brutally. I know, because I was there, fighting on Russia's side as a sharp-shooter. I mean, while he is large and right there breathing down my neck; whether it is pleasant or not, I shall carry out my orders with accuracy. Poland said he doesn't understand me, he told that I could have so easily joined forces with him. He said that I was born to be a slave, loving my yoke, and that I'm blindly following orders.

And now, I'm feeling... shame? I don't know, I have never felt like this. Of course there's been battles before, but back then it was never my own choice to join them. I'm also feeling weird admiration towards him! He's ready to fight for what he thinks is right. For things I don't completely understand...

* * *

**February 28 , 1835**

Today, the Kalevala was published! It's my national epic, I love it! It's full of old poems and stories.

* * *

**June xx, 1841**

I heard that Sve, Norway, and Denmark are nowadays very interested in their pasts, and their languages which are very similar with each other. They call it "Scandinavism". They would also like to re-establish the Kalmar Union, without me, of course. First they spend centuries trying to rip each others head's off, and then suddenly they notice they are like brothers? Or maybe real brothers act just like that?

* * *

**February xx, 1850**

Russia said, that I can't use Finnish in literature anymore (with couple exceptions). It's Ok, I can use Swedish instead, but I don't understand why I can't use Finnish. I would like to practice it, it's been a long time since I really needed it. He never explains why I need to do something.

* * *

**April 8, 1854**

Russia has been fighting against the Ottoman Empire since the last year (again), and France and England are involved in it too as Russia's enemies. Today, I saw England's and France's ships near my coasts. I wonder what they are up to? I alarmed Russia just in case.

I'm a bit worried. I don't know much about sea warfare.

* * *

**June xx, 1854**

England's and France's fleet attacked here last month. I tried to do something about the attack, but I don't have an army, and you really can't destroy a fleet with a hunter-rifle (I tried), but, eh, luckily Russia is here. I asked if I could form an army too, and I got permission.

England and France have destroyed a huge amount of vessels and barrels of pitch and tar, but that doesn't bother me much because the materials were actually England's property as they were already paid for and only awaited shipping. But he must know what he's doing, right? I and Russia find this amusing.

They have also attacked Åland where is one of Russia's fortifications.

* * *

**April xx, 1860**

I got my own currency! Its name is markka. It was hard to make Russia promise it to me, but I told him that his money is too big for me because I'm poorer than he is. I also got my own stamps couple years ago. Oh, and I can use Finnish in literature again!

* * *

**January 22, 1863**

Poland started a rebellion again... Russia is angry, so angry it's best to avoid him. Nobody knows what he will do next.

* * *

**September 18, 1863**

I can't believe this! Russia decided to re-establish the Diet of Finland! I have been whining him to do so for who knows how long, but every time I've been ignored! Finally I can make some reforms!

But I wonder why he decided to re-establish it now? I mean, he was angry with me because I didn't send him an oath of loyalty like did the other parts of the empire when Poland's rebellion started. Well, who knows. I'm HAPPY!

* * *

**April xx, 1865**

Poland's rebellion ended. It ended badly. All traces of the former Polish autonomy were removed and Poland's official language is now Russian. I don't like this at all, it's a bad sign.

* * *

**September xx, 1868**

Last three years have been horrible. I suffered poor harvests, and I had an awful famine again. Now things are looking better, but I still feel dizzy. And my people still argue about which language I should speak; Finnish or Swedish. Russia has always supported Finnish more, but of course Russian is his favorite candidate.

...I wonder what have happened to Poland. Russia renamed him as Vistula Land, and I haven't seen him for ages. Russia is also angry at his sisters and Lithuania. Well, there is something going on with him and Lithuania anyway...

* * *

**October 3, 1877**

Russia has been fighting against the Ottoman Empire, because he wants to help Bulgaria (or... keep him, I don't know which, but Bulgaria likes Russia, so I don't care). Today I went to the front. Maybe I can help him somehow too.

* * *

**March 13, 1881**

He was killed! Russia boss... my boss! I don't know what should I do! I liked him. And I got a bad feeling things will turn worse soon.

* * *

**June xx, 1890**

I lost my separate postal service, and now I need to use Russia's eagle stamps... but I managed to keep my own lion stamps in use as well. I should have guessed something like this could happend. Russia has started to turn us similar with him throughout the empire... but this is really nothing if you compare to what has happened elsewhere...

* * *

**February 15, 1899**

Russia declared the February manifest! According to it, his imperial government can now rule me without the consent of my legislative bodies! How can he do this? He promised I can keep my autonomy! And I hate my new Governor-General... and this feeling seems to be mutual...

Russia doesn't like the fact, that I think I'm almost a real country. Its just almost... According to him, I'm just a province with some privileges, and he doesn't let his provinces to grow into countries. And he says that I'm ungrateful - I was in totally helpless condition after the war, and he could have done anything to me, but instead I got an autonomous position. Well, I don't understand why I should be so grateful if that position is now taken away?

* * *

**November xx, 1900**

Things are even worse. I tried to talk to the boss, but he didn't listen. And Russia wants me to learn Russian because my administration language is now Russian. I can speak it a little bit, but not well enough it seems.

My stamps were also completely abolished. Well, I created a new stamp, which didn't have any value, but which I used along with the real Russian stamps. I started to call them as "the stamps of sadness". Russia forbid them. Next, I started to use lion printed envelopes. They were also forbidden soon. All I could do after that was to use the official stamps pasted upside down, ha ha ha. Well, Russia sent me to Siberia to chill for a moment because "I act like a little kid".

Nowadays I wear only black mourning clothes. I'm having my own funerals beforehand, just in case.

* * *

**July xx, 1901**

Russia ordered, that from now on I need to serve in the armed forces anywhere in the empire, anytime. Not if he can't find me, I have my woods to protect me. I'm not going to help him to drag any new nations here. My people believe it's time for civil disobedience.

* * *

**March 29, 1903**

My awful Governor-General got dictatorial powers so that he could punish me when Russia is too busy to do so himself. Fun. He said to me, that he's only thinking my best. He's not. He's stealing my money, and he thinks I haven't noticed it. And he calls me a chukhna. I somehow understand when ordinary people are rude, because my people surely are too sometimes, but he's part of the government agency!

* * *

**June 17, 1904**

One of my people shot my Governor-General. Russia isn't happy. And now some people are arrested because they look too happy without a good reason. And no, Governor-General's death is not a good reason. I hope Russia will forget this accident soon.

* * *

**February xx, 1905**

Russia stopped my russification because he's busy with his war with Japan, and other things. And I'm not fighting against Japan because Russia canceled the conscription law. He said I'm too unreliable nowadays. So, now I'm paying "military millions" to him instead.

Oh, and Lithuania said there was a weird shooting accident recently in the main building. He was pale as death when he told about it. He refused to give more details, but mumbled something about children who can't play nice.

* * *

**March xx, 1906**

Russia wants to get more information about China, especially about his border areas. He wants also know what England is doing there. So, I guess I'm going there too. France wants to organize an expedition and travel to China's place, and Russia asked if I and one of his Finnish officer could come with him too.

So why me? Why not Lithuania, Georgia or Belarus (Russia said Belarus can't go because he only wants to know more about China, not to kill him). Well, me because I look so harmless nobody will ever guess I'm a spy, that's why (so why can't Latvia or Ukraine go?). Russia can't go himself because China already sees through his panda costume. I'm not going to be there two years like that officer, but for a while anyway.

So, I guess I need to take my camera with me and just go.

* * *

**July 1, 1906**

Something alarming happened yesterday. Russian soldiers and the Finnish Red Guards started to rebel in my fortress of Sveaborg. I heard that Russia crushed the rebellion.

* * *

**October 10, 1906**

I'm a small nation, so why should I exclude almost half of my people from the everyday decisions? From this day on, all of my citizens, including women, are free to vote and run for office! I need to be united, otherwise I can't take all this pressure against me. I also hope my people would stop arguing about what language I should speak!

* * *

**August xx, 1910**

Russia has again time to teach me how to be a good Russian. This started already two years ago, but now he took my apartment's key away too! So my side building is like a normal room nowadays when its outdoor is locked. One of his politicians declared happily "Finis Finlandiae!" when he heard about this... Oh, I hope I'll see your end before you see mine...

I think I'm going crazy soon. And what's the difference between the letters С, Ш, З, Ж, Ц,Ч, Щ? They all sound the same to me! Who needs so many hisses anyway! I think I could strangle someone right now...

And there have been a lot of fighting among my people... and sometimes, too often, Russia's soldiers take part to it too.

* * *

**May 5, 1912**

Finally some good news! It's time for the Olympic games! And they are held in Sve's place. Russia must have been in a good mood because he allowed me to take part as a separate team! Or maybe he tries to make Sve believe he's not trying to take my autonomy away...

Now I'm in Stockholm! Everything is so different is used to be!

Almost every nation had a name sign and their flag with them... I had only a name sign. But I wanted to have a flag too, so I borrowed a sport flag from the female gymnastics club. Russia took it from me before we arrived to the stadium. He said I need to follow him under his flag. Well, I did so, but I left a few meters distance between us. And when I passed the Swedish band, they started to play one of my marching musics! Russia was not very pleased...

* * *

**June 30, 1912**

I won Russia in soccer today! But I need to use the same flag as him, so when the winner's flag was raised to the pole, it was of course Russia's flag. Good thing that Sve, who is the game host, came to help; he had a dirty piece of fabric where he had written"Finland won". It was the first time I saw my name in a big stadium!

* * *

**July 30, 1914**

Somebody shot Austria's and Hungary's future boss some days ago. They were sure it was somebody from Serbia, so they declared war. Serbia himself says he's innocent.

It seems nations across the Europe are furious, and they might use this as an excuse to attack each other. I hope not.

* * *

**August xx, 1914**

I can't even remember who is at war with whom. There are so many alliances, and after somebody attacks against another, their allies will join the war. All I know is, that I'm nowadays a nation in a state of war, and I have a really tight curfew. Russia is fighting as well, I'm not, but some people want to volunteer to fight on his side.

My autonomy is nonexistent nowadays. I'm not sure is it because of this war or is it something permanent... my people are getting more nervous day by day.

* * *

**July xx, 1915**

I have a weird feeling. Sometimes I got flashes about events I don't remember properly. I'm almost sure that Germany and Prussia taught me to fight, but when? How is that even possible? Maybe it was a dream? I hope these are not the first signs of a civil war. I have heard a nation can display multiple distinct identities if their people start to fight against each other. And my people aren't happy at the moment.

* * *

**March 12, 1917**

Russia had a big revolution. His boss, he resigned! Russia got a new government, and he gave my apartment's key back! But otherwise everything is very unstable. There's fighting in the streets. Russia's soldiers are screaming "svobodaa!", and breaking things.

* * *

**November 8, 1917**

There was a new revolution in Russia! Now the Russian Reds are in the leading position. Russia might be on verge of civil war too. He acts so weird. I want out of here!

* * *

He warned me, that if I dare to declare independence, he will capture me back during the night when I'm sleeping. It will not be as easy as Norway's case with Sweden was. Sometimes he just smiles at me. He's like two different persons.

* * *

**November 15, 1917**

Those Russian Reds, they declared that it's Ok if we other nations want to leave Russia. Really? Is it real, or are they just testing us? I don't understand this at all, but maybe I should take advantage of this?

... ... ...

Author's Notes: This is not supposed to be a history book, so certain mistakes may occur. Dates with xx are uncertain, only the year might be right... or wrong. Sometimes there are different dates xD. Finland's rant about Sweden is actually from the letters of Finland's nobility from that time. Poland's rant about Finland is also trufax, like almost all the other things as well. Oh, and If you find grammatical errors, feel free to message me about them. I know I write Finglish too often.

- _Russia attacked us about 6 AM this morning _- the Finnish sources said, that Russia tried to avoid attacking at all cost. Many Russian sources that I studied said (with the translator), that capturing Finland was the main point - failure in the Continental System was only a pretext! So don't ask me what point of view is the right one. I guess it depended on the person, and when those sources were written. And originally there was no "Finland". Russia just gathered all the places where was a Finnish speaking majority (minus Åland and some other areas), that's why they originally wanted the border to go through the Swedish Kalix river, but then settled for less. (That's probably the reason why Sweden later renamed the language that those Finnic people spoke on his side of the border as Meänkieli. In Finnish, Meänkieli means "Ourlanguage.)

- _Some ladies from nobility said, that they don't care where the soldiers are from as long as they know how to dance_ - Some people may say, that Finland left willingly with Russia... eh, too many victims in this war (both sides) to this be the only right conclusion. Recovery of Finland back to its own feets took a long time. Russia helped, of course, he was the one who mashed him in the first place anyway... Although, he tried to be careful and not to mash him too badly. It could be said that a polarization arose between those who complied and those who resisted, like happens in wars. In September 1808, those who had fought realized that it was over, some continued fighting anyway.

- _My people believe Sve has abandoned us because our troops are retreating _- this was supposed to be the tactic. The strong fortress of Sveaborg was left behind to drain the power of the Russian forces. They were planning to attack against the enemy from two directions later - from Sveaborg and from the "Swedish" side of the territory. This failed when Sveaborg surrendered without a fight. Nobody knows why it surrendered, except maybe Ivan... Ordinary people, who didn't know anything about this war plan only saw soldiers running away, abandoning them. Then they started a guerrilla war, even if civilians were not supposed to fight.

- _But I was captured (Åland too)_ - I'm not sure should Åland have his/her own character yet at this point. They were even more integral part of Sweden than Finland ever was, because they are as Swedish as you can be, not just Finns who speak Swedish. So maybe they started to think themself as Ålanders some time after they got separated from Sweden? One of them once said in an interview - "We are not Finns, but we are not Swedes either, so let's be Ålanders" x).

- _Anyway, his boss was nice to me _- Alexander I was nice to Finland (pacification policies, you see) and was later called as an Angel (because Napoleon was the Antichrist, duh. And because he had pretty blonde curly hair, and because ex-king Gustav IV Adolf "abandoned" Finland *clings to the nearest royalty*), but to Sweden... well, he apparently was planning to teach the country a lesson it would never forget, not just make it surrender. But their attack through Åland and then over the sea didn't go like it was supposed to go. Most battles on "Sweden's" side were fought in north. I don't know what Sweden did to make him that angry.

- _Bessarabia will be here soon too_ - Maybe I should call it as "Moldova".

- _Sweden met Russia today. I heard what they were talking_ - Jean Bernadotte and Alexander I met in a Finnish city of Åbo/Turku, so no wonder if he hear what they talked. Finland... didn't like Bernadotte very much, "petty Bernadotte", like some people called him in the letters. And he was French, they were not very popular at the time. In reality the loss of Finland was very traumatic event for Sweden, but how Finland had known about this.

- _He wants to join pieces of land he annexed from me _- The so called Russian "Old Finland" was joined with formerly Swedish "New Finland". So, basically Finland was divided in two parts... but because it was divided already in the Treaty of Nöteborg (1323), and sometimes got back together, he lives here just with Sweden, not partially somewhere else.

- _Sweden got to keep Norway _- Norway got his independence in 1905.

- _Brutally. I know, because I was there, fighting on Russia's side_ - When Finland's own national consciousness grows some more, this becomes a very first historical shame Finland has ever felt. Others shameful things are the Civil War and the Continuation War.

- _Russia said I can't use Finnish in literature anymore _- it could have been due to the Crimean war or because there was a revolt against Austria in Hungary. They were afraid that somebody could get funny ideas because of that and started to publish propaganda pamflets about the fact that freedom is too overrated nowadays. Most of the population spoke Finnish, Swedish was the language of the local administration and nobility. Of course there were also peasants who spoke Swedish and Finnish leaders, who only spoke Swedish. This was repealed after Finland, to maybe even Russia's surprise, was clearly on his side during the Crimean War.

- _England's and France's fleet attacked here last month_ - There is even a song about it: and that war of Åland was horrible, hooray, hooray, hooray, when an englishman with three hundred ships sailed along the coasts of Finland... etc. locally the Crimean War is called as the war of Åland because the ships sailed near it. And I don't know why only "englishman" is mentioned and "frenchman" is forgotten. According to the Russian sources, Britain and France tried to split the Russian empire - Finland to Sweden, the Baltic countries to Prussia, Poland was to be restored as a barrier between Germany and Russia and Poland would also get Belarus and Ukraine etc. but I can't find anything about this in English and I don't know was that site reliable.

- _Now things are looking better, but I still feel dizzy_ - Feeling dizzy... this famine killed 15% of the population. The famine led the Russian Empire to ease financial regulations, and investment rose in following decades.

-_ Russia has always supported Finnish more _- Because Swedish was more dangerous language, because it was also a language of the neighboring country ("but the oppressors of the Finnish people as a nation — the Swedes. It was necessary in the interest of Russia as a State to Finnify Finland, to remove that Swedish incubus which draws her away from Russia." like was said in one propaganda pamphlet). Finland had quite serious language battles between the Fennomans and the Svecomans.

- _Because "I act like a little kid" _- That was the czar himself who said so... "let them act like little kids until we get our hands on them properly", or something like that. Finland never liked Nicholas II very much.

- _One of my people shot my Governor-General _- Governor-General Bobrikov was shot by Schauman. In 2004 our Prime Minister condemned the act, and said that today he would have been called as a terrorist.

- _I started to call them as "the stamps of sadness" _- Surumerkki in Finnish. It's a black stamp with the coat of arms of Finland. It has no value, like Finland said. Oh, its original name was "the coat of arms mark".

- _And what's the difference between the letters С, Ш, З, Ж, Ц,Ч, Щ? _- I have heard these are the most difficult letters for Finns. Seven cursed hisses .

And I just noticed: Barrels of pitch and tar were only waiting for shipping? PitchXTar is my new OTP from now on!


	4. A Rocky Road to Independence

**December 4, 1917**

Today, I traveled to meet Sweden (It was kinda like a secret mission!). It was nice to see him again, I think the last time I saw him was during the Olympic games he held five years ago.

I asked could Sve recognize my independence if I declare it, but he said no. He thinks Russia needs to recognize it first because I live with him. It's the rule of the nations or something. This is so unfair...

Nothing else happened during the trip, I swear... And why I have to swear something in my diary, anyway… This is meant for my eyes only.

* * *

**December 6, 1917**

That's it! I finally decided to do it! I declared my independence. Now I need to wait others to recognize it. This was a lot easier than I thought, Russia haven't said a word to me after he hear about this. Maybe I can move to my own house soon.

* * *

**December 12, 1917**

Nobody is ever going to recognize me. They are too afraid of Russia, and say he needs to recognize me first… I'm not going to ask recognition of independence from him. What if he says "no"? He and his new government are creepy. Even creepier than they usually are… I'm stuck here forever.

* * *

**December 14, 1917**

Now something weird is happening. During the peace negotiations between Germany and Russia, Germany said he asked Russia if there's any chance he could recognize my independence! And according to Germany, all I need to do is ask recognition directly from Russia, and he'll sign the papers! After all, he has declared a general right of self-determination and he'll keep his promise. It wasn't a joke after all.

Now, Germany is rushing me to act. He says this is a chance of a lifetime, and that I will regret if I miss it. I know, I know, but for me this is a jump to unknown. I have never been... I'm a bit afraid.

I don't know why, but Germany and his brother have been very helpful lately, that's so nice of them!

* * *

**December 22, 1917**

I asked recognition from those Russian's who are not with the Reds... but I got no answer. I really wouldn't like to ask it from those... bolsheviks. But maybe I have to.

My goverment finally passed a law, that allows everybody who meets the certain conditions to become my citizens without giving up their religion.

* * *

**December 31, 1917**

What a day! I waited three hours in a small room so that I could receive the resolution from Russia and his government about my independence. And finally, almost at midnight, I got the important papers! By the way, it's weird how Russia nowadays seems to be asleep during the day and work when the sun sets down. And he likes the color red! Um... I was almost glad that I had a cross around my neck when I met him.

Anyway, I and Russia shook hands, and he asked am I satisfied now. Very, very much, was my answer. We spoke in Russian, so yes; I can speak it when I want to. Even though Russia still thinks I pronounce it waaaaayyyy toooooo slooooowlyyyy, just like Estonia. It doesn't matter, I'm not going to need it ever again.

Well, now my independence is official, at least almost!

* * *

**January 4, 1918**

Russia ratified the recognition of my independence, now others are free to recognize me too… and... well, Sve did it surprisingly fast, almost on the same second as Russia. It was as if he had been just around the corner, just waiting to announce his declaration… weird. France was even faster.

I have my own house now. It's small and poor, but it's all mine.

* * *

**January 6, 1918**

Germany invited me to visit him, and he recognized my independence. I said that I probably value his recognition the most, because he helped me.

Germany also said, that he meant to recognize me already earlier, but he was afraid that others would hesitate to recognize me if he was one of the first to do so - he didn't want to cause unnecessary trouble for me. He's not the most popular company at the moment because he's at war with lots of countries.

* * *

**January 13, 1918**

I had a big party today in my new house with some of those who have already recognized me; Russia, France, Sweden, Denmark, and Norway. Germany couldn't come, and France left the room when Germany's anthem was played, but otherwise everyone had fun. At least I hope so.

I also visited Hungary's place today. I got lots of hugs and she wished me well and recognized me (Austria too). She said she hopes that I will: Vivat, crescat, floreat! Good think that I still remember Latin! I used to love that language!

* * *

**January 26, 1918**

_I think it's the right time... I can no longer hesitate. This red lantern will be the sign for everyone. Now, there's no return._

* * *

**January 27, 1918**

Today happened something really awful. My people… are not happy. There's a lot of fighting, the Red and White troops; I think this is a civil war… Everybody wants to decide which kind of country I will be… but I feel so sick. If this continues, I'm not sure will I survive. It feels like my head is going to explode, and I really can't pick sides. All of them are my people... except those Russian soldiers who are still here. Why are they here?

The White forces claim that the Red forces want to force me to go voluntarily back to Russia. I don't understand why would they want something like that? And how could something forced be voluntary? The Reds say they only want better conditions for workers.

* * *

**February 15, 1918**

Sve, who is horrified about my civil war, occupied Åland today. I guess he's sure the Reds will win, and that he's next on their list. The one who owns Åland controls the Gulf of Bothnia, so Åland's islands are a perfect place if you want attack Sve or me. But nevertheless, he violated my borders; even if I'm sure he would never hurt Åland, I need to do something about it soon. Sorry Sve, Åland has always been with me.

* * *

**February 24, 1918**

The civil war is still on, and I feel so tired… But I still need to do my work and collect recognitions from others. I met Turkey today. He treated me like if I was his long lost little brother. His hospitality and friendliness were amazing. He really knows how to have a party!

And awesome news, Estonia declared his independence today! Lithuania and Ukraine did so even earlier than him.

* * *

**February 25, 1918**

Germany occupied Estonia today… Not good, why did you capture my friend? And why now?

* * *

**February 26, 1918**

Today I visited Bulgaria. He was also very kind. His king was celebrating his birthday today, and I got an invitation to the party too. He recognized my independence there and raised a toast to me in Finnish! Haha, I didn't know he had practiced Finnish just for me. Bulgaria has been really friendly towards me since 1877.

The civil war and the situation in Estonia and in other bordering countries is draining my energy.

* * *

**March 1, 1918**

_I feel strong. Yes, somehow I feel strong, but i'm also scared and tired too - uncertain, that would be the right world, I guess._

_I got a new title today, from now on my full name is the Finnish Socialist Workers' Republic. I signed also a friendship treaty with Russia. He's been helping me quite a lot, but I wonder was that treaty a bit too... well, close? I mean, I appreciate his help, I really do, but I would like to be my own country with my own rules. He said playfully, that my thoughts are quite imperialistic. But I'm not an imperialist!_

_I just want them to be happy, why don't they all understand? If they don't understand, I need to force them to be happy._

* * *

**March 2, 1918**

Sometimes it feels like I'm two different person in the same body - maybe even three. There are times I can't remember what I have done. I vaguely remember meeting Russia yesterday. I introduced myself to him as the Finnish Socialist Workers' Republic, and he said he's the Russian Federative Soviet Republic nowadays! I signed a treaty with him, but I can't remember what it was about... Was that a dream too? It was so weird! But it can't be... there are pages with a weird writing on them... I can't remember...

* * *

**March 5, 1918**

_He started this! Why? I thought everything was fine! He wants rights? Everybody is supposed to be born where they belong - workers are workers and nobility is nobility! Why does he defy it? He gets weapons from Russia... Or at least, used to get. Russia promised to Germany to stop it. So, this is Russia fault! He gets these stupid ideas from him! Discipline must be returned, even if that means I need to use force._

_I needed to ask help from Germany, because he seems to be ready to help me. Today, he arrived. He drove Sweden out from Åland's island (and also those Russian soldiers who were still there). What were you doing there anyway, Sve?_

_My commander doesn't like to let Germany to come here. He wants me to win this war alone (he didn't even like those Swedish volunteers who came to help me. He doesn't trust them). But I need to win this fast._

* * *

**April 3, 1918**

Everything is a big mess… Estonia proposed that he and I could form a confederation! We could be roommates... He's occupied by Germany, Germany is attacking Russia, Estonia is fighting against both Germany and Russia, and I'm about to die or lose my mind because of the civil war… Not the best time to ask something like that, buddy!

And speaking of Germany, he and his soldiers came to help the White forces today. I'm not sure is this good or not? I just hope this stupid war ends soon. There are times when I can't get up from my bed.

* * *

**April 25, 1918**

Estonia asked about the confederation again! Is he really serious about it?

* * *

**May 15, 1918**

The civil war is over. The Whites won... Germany said, that I might become more stable now. Or not. All that hate won't disappear so soon.

And Germany... I wonder will he ever leave? Apparently I'm going to be a kingdom, and have a German king! And somebody signed a treaty with Germany about his right to control my foreign trade and economy! What? I was independent only few months? He says this will not affect to my independence... Well, maybe it's Ok then? I have started to think more like my White forces after they won. (But originally I really wanted to have a Danish king).

England said that he will not recognize my independence if I don't get rid of Germany first. He also mumbled that being independent is overrated anyways. Then he gave me a lecture about how newly independent countries are usually too naive for their own good and how others show too much interest in them because they want them to follow their example.

He looked at me but it felt like he was speaking to a totally different person. Oh, and America agrees with him.

* * *

**November 11, 1918**

Huh? Germany accepted his defeat in the World War. He says his troops will leave soon. Well, this was surprising. Does this mean I'm not going to have a king from Germany?

Maybe I'm going to be a republic like I was supposed to be, then! Not sure will it work though; my people still hate each other, and everything is out of control, lots of Reds died even after the war, and I didn't do much to stop that… And they have this stupid language strife too... I don't feel very healthy. Fighting with itself isn't very wise, that's something I have learned.

I also need money to repair everything that was destructed. I guess I'll ask America if he could borrow me some... He has delivered me some food already, and I'm sure he'll understand how it feels to have a civil war and what it means to be independent at last.

Maybe I'm going to be a republic like I was supposed to be then! Not sure will it work though; my people still hate each other and everything is out of control, lots of Reds died even after the war and I didn't do much to stop that… And they have this stupid language strife too... I don't feel very healthy. Fighting with itself isn't very wise, that's something I have learned.

I also need money to repair everything that was destructed. I guess I'll ask America if he could borrow me some money... He has delivered me some food already, and I'm sure he'll understand how it feels to have a civil war and what it means to be independent at last?

* * *

**February xx, 1919**

Problems with Åland... He screams that he wants to live with Sweden, and not with me, because I'm crazy. Times are tough, and he's not really helping. But I can't blame him, Sweden's place looks like a paradise compared to mine.

* * *

**July 25, 1919**

I finally got my own boss. He was elected by people from moderate right and left, so maybe things will be alright after all. Everything needs to stay in balance - if neither takes an upper hand now, I'm not sure what will happend (I'm more worried about those Reds).

His biggest competitor was my regent, moustached man who was a commander of the Russian army not too long ago - the same man that was in China's place with me. But because he was also the supreme commander of my White forces, my moderate Reds were against him.

I have also some troubles with my army. Its best soldiers are trained by Prussia, and its commanders are trained by Russia. They are like water and oil to each other. I hope they will... not try anything funny. A military coup is the last thing I need!

* * *

**October xx, 1919**

I'm not sure what I should do. England and Russia (yes, Russia. It seems he has an alter ego too because of his own civil war, like I had) wants me to help them to beat the Russian Red forces. They want me to join their attack against the Reds. But this Russia refuses to recognize my independence! England said, that if I help them now, we'll think about this independence stuff after that. I'm not that stupid... And I'm tired, exhausted. I still don't have much of control of my people.

And I'm already meddling in Russia's affairs, kinda, I have done so ever since my own civil war started. Volunteer corps are fighting on the Russia's side of the border too, because they think some of those areas should be mine, and they also say people from those areas want to be with me too. Well, why not, if they really want that? There's my people in Estonia's place too, helping him in his war against Russia.

* * *

**November xx, 1919**

I met America today. He borrowed me about 8,3 million dollars. I promised him to pay back as soon as I can. He was doubtful and said that I'm not the only one who has borrowed money from him, and he doesn't know what to think about this; he would like to be the hero, not a bank.

* * *

**January 18, 1920**

Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and I had a meeting today at my place. We're planning to form a defence union, mainly against Russia. But I don't know is this a good idea; we have so different ideas about everything, and Poland and Lithuania seem to be quite hostile towards each other. They have a conflict about certain areas... Lithuania ignored Poland's presence completely and Poland glared at him.

I chatted mostly with Estonia. Latvia seemed to be unsure with whom he should talk because the atmosphere wasn't very good. Some of us are still at war with Russia.

* * *

**January 30, 1920**

I'm trying to calm Åland with autonomy. If that's not enough for him, I'll let the League of Nations decide with whom he should live.

* * *

**August 14, 1920**

Today, I and Russia finally signed the peace treaty in Estonia's place. There's been lots of conflicts between us, but we managed to agree about our borders (it's something we should have done immediately). They are the same as when I was the Grand Duchy, except I got one new northern part which I call as the other "arm". He had promised it to me already in 1864, when he got piece of my territory in a trade, but he had forgotten to give it to me. I still had papers about it.

My people, those who attacked Russia, need to retreat, but people who live in those areas got an autonomy, and they seem to be Ok with that. Most of Russia's soldiers have already retreated from my areas.

This whole thing made relations between me and Russia even worse than they already were. And my people who attacked there hate me because I signed a treaty like this.

* * *

**June 27, 1921**

The league of Nations decided, that Åland belongs to me. It didn't matter to them that Åland speaks only Swedish, because it's the language most of my leading class speak anyway. Åland will get a wide autonomy, and it's illegal to build fortresses there. I'm responsible of Åland's defence during war times.

Relations between Sweden and I are not very good right now because of this. And my language strife between Swedish and Finnish makes things worse.

* * *

**February xx, 1922**

A rebellion started behind Russia's side of the border because they aren't happy with their autonomy. They asked military help from me, but all I promised to them was humanitarian aid. Even that was too much for Russia, who's angry because I'm meddling in his affairs. Or maybe he's angry because some of my people don't understand to stay out of this? I suggested that maybe the League of Nations could do something about this, but it was a bad idea.

* * *

**June 1, 1922**

I and Russia signed a border peace. We both promised to do everything to keep our people out from the wrong side of the border. Russia didn't like my explanation, that it wasn't me who started that rebellion, and that I didn't agree to help. He said that I'm responsible for what my people do. I should have stopped those volunteers immediately, not when it was already too late.

Our relations are bad. Really bad. I mean, you'll notice it even in little things, there's a bridge which goes over our border. He painted his part of the bridge red, and I painted my part white...

... ... ...

Author's Notes: This is not supposed to be a history book, so certain mistakes may occur. Dates with xx are uncertain, only the year might be right... or wrong. Sometimes there are different dates.

This is the part I used in my other fic. I updated it a bit too.

This part was hard to write. I wasn't sure where Finland should be, it was so unstable and splitted nation at the time, so it started to sounds like he is just an observer. There were Finns fighting against Finns, and against Russians and then there were Finnish Reds who were allied with British fighting against the other Finns who were on the wrong side of the border "helping" their "relative people" and then there were Finns who wanted to help the white Russians and the British to fight against the Red Russians. So I tried to follow official Finland, which was quite hard too because he was everywhere. And during this time lots of people were killed, but I didn't want to go to the details and maybe Finland is a bit biased because the Whites won.

And I don't like to write much about Åland because I don't know is it he or she xD.

- The Whites = Mainly nobility, rich people, wealthy farmers, landowners etc.

- The Reds = Mainly peasants, poor people etc.

- Most of the Reds just wanted better conditions for them.

- _That's it! I finally decided to do it! I declared my independence -_ 100 were for independence, and 88 against it...

- _Except those Russian soldiers who are still here_ - No one bothered to order them to withdraw in the first place. And the Finnish Civil War was started by the Finns themself, not by them, even if they raged too and hunted their own officers. And even if it was Stalin who twice urged the Finnish socialists to start a revolution too - he promised they will help them like brothers. It was Stalin's first bigger mission by Lenin, Stalin himself was not as influential as he will later be.

- Many Swedes took part to the Civil war too as volunteers (they supported the Whites).

- _My Reds get weapons from them_ - Not so much after Germany and Russia signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk.

- _Lots of Reds died even after the war_ - Their conditions in the prison camps were horrible. Diseases were spreading and there was a shortage of food. There was also a general indifference towards the prisoners, they were enemies, nobody cared about them. The same thing will happend during the other wars.

- _And somebody signed a treaty with him about his right to control my foreign trade and economy_ - Finland had never had his own foreign policies, so there was no rules who can sign what with other countries. So everybody in the government made their own deals with... everybody. This was fixed later.


	5. Quite Calm Before the Storm

**July xx, 1922**

I, Poland, Estonia, and Latvia had a meeting already earlier in this spring. Lithuania was supposed to come too, but his and Poland's argument is still going on. Poland said Lithuania might have traveled to America's place to search for a new job.

Well, back then, we signed a defence treaty in Poland's place. Poland would have been our leader, and if any of us got attacked, other members should have started to negotiate how we could help the victim... but then I decided to back down. Treaty like this would only annoy Russia, and Germany wouldn't like it either. And I'm already a member of the League of Nations.

We all are still meeting each other now and then, but I don't think still will lead to anything bigger.

* * *

**December 30, 1922**

Hm, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia, and some other eastern nations from the ex-empire former an union. They call it as the Soviet Union. So, I guess he will stay Red then?

Oh, by the way, Russia insist, that if we speak to him, we should call him the Soviet Union instead of Russia. That's because everybody in their union is equal, and if you speak to one of them, you speak to all of them... I think I will still call him Russia. It's too complicated otherwise.

* * *

**November xx, 1924**

I have played soccer mostly with Sve, Estonia, Norway, and Poland, but also with Austria, Hungary, and Germany. They are the three who many are avoiding because of the latest war, but I think they should have at least a change to compete in sports. Maybe that will cheer them up a little bit? Germany has at least made peace with Russia, they have been cooperating since they signed the treaty of Rapallo.

Germany's place is so great! He has libraries I can only dream of, and technology, and... uh, everything! Ok, maybe the war has taken its toll, but still...

* * *

**January 5, 1925**

Russia's and England's relations aren't very good right now. Russia is sure England is planning an offensive against him, and that he's forming different groups he can use as pawns to do this. I, Estonia, and Latvia are one of these groups, and apparently Sweden is supporting us too?

* * *

**March xx, 1925**

I have a small problem. I would like to be a Nordic country. Still, I'm mostly counted as a Baltic state... and Estonia thinks I'm some sort of a traitor because I don't want to be called as Baltic. Which is kinda funny, because I know he would like to be a Nordic country too. I have some sort of a secret defence cooperation plan with Estonia in case if we are attacked, but otherwise our relations are not so close they were before. I don't know why. Maybe because we both have so much work to do nowadays?

* * *

**July xx, 1926**

Ha ha! A direct telephone line was opened between me and Sve! Now I can call him any time I want, and he can call to me! This way I don't need to face his gaze... But it would be even more great if I could somehow send him written messages by phone... his silent breathing is also somewhat scary.

* * *

**April xx, 1929**

My nationalists founded the Lapua Movement... They are against communists, even if I did forbid communism long time ago. Well, my leading Reds did found their own party after the civil war, but they are operating from Russia. They escaped there when their revolution failed.

* * *

**September 14, 1930**

That Lapua Movement... they kidnapped my boss and his wife! I was afraid they will beat them to bruises, or take them to the Russian border and throw them to the other side, like how they have done to their other, usually leftist victims. Luckily, they were rescued before something like that happened.

* * *

**January 21, 1932**

I met Russia today and we signed a non-aggression treaty. It's a very ordinary treaty, both parties promised to stay neutral and not to join openly hostile alliances against each other. Our relations have been quite cold, and I have done my best in avoiding him in every way possible, so maybe this helps a little bit.

* * *

**March 6, 1932**

Members of the Lapuan Movement started a rebellion last month. They tried to change my government, and get even those moderate Reds out from it. My boss gave them a radio speech and told them to surrender, or else... and the situation didn't go any worse. The Lapua movement was disbanded, and their leaders were arrested, but I'm sure the rest of them will just found a new organisation.

* * *

**May xx, 1933**

Germany... got a new a boss some time ago. That changed him quite a bit. They seem to be somewhat... more harsher than they used to be...

* * *

**June xx, 1933**

Many countries have an awful flu because there's a depression. It started couple years ago... I'm quite Ok, and I have kept paying my debts to America. He seems to be really overjoyed about it. He calls me nowadays as "the Country That Pay its Debts". I'm... not sure it is because he can't remember my real name, or is it meant to be a compliment, but that doesn't matter that much.

* * *

**November 6, 1933**

My people are still fighting about the languages! There was a street fight between Finnish speaking school kids and Swedish speaking kids. I have no idea why it started or who started it.

* * *

**December 5, 1935**

Today, I officially declared that I'm a neutral country, just like the other Nordic countries, and I'll do everything to become truly one of them.

* * *

**December 7, 1935**

Ha ha, Sve, Norway, Denmark and Iceland who still lives with Denmark, visited me today. They congratulated me for my wise decision.

* * *

**August xx, 1937**

Germany's navy visited me today. I have to admit that I first wondered whether it was a wise decision to let them visit, but when Russia started to make noise about it I had to agree. Otherwise it would have looked like I had obeyed his commands. Germany has visited the other Nordic countries as well, so this can't so bad.

* * *

**July 18, 1938**

I got some good news! I'll be the host of the Olympic games of 1940! First, they gave the games to Japan, but because of his aggression, I got them instead! I don't have much time because this came so suddenly, so I need to start preparations immediatly.

* * *

**January 7, 1939**

I and Sve agreed to fortify and defend Åland together if something bad happens, we have been planning this already for years. But first we need permit from the League of Nations to do so (even if the League is almost dead). And Sve wants to ask Russia's permission too, blah.

But it's great we're doing this together, Åland is much more cooperative when Sve is with me (and I like his company, too).

* * *

**March 15, 1939**

Germany attacked against Czechoslovakia! Just last year he promised he would leave them alone. I mean, last year England, France, Italy, and Germany had a meeting where they agreed, that some of Czechia's and Slovakia's areas belong to Germany instead. That was supposed to bring peace... But apparently their plan failed. Germany's boss seems to do whatever he wants to do.

* * *

**May 16, 1939**

Germany offered a non-aggression pact to me, Sve, Norway, and Denmark, but we didn't want to sign it because we are neutral. Well, Denmark accepted it, but it was mainly because he lives so near him. The atmosphere isn't very good right now... Maybe I should have accepted it too, I mean, I have one with Russia so it would have been more fair to have one with Germany as well, like the Baltics have.

* * *

**May 31, 1939**

Russia said he doesn't accept my cooperation with Sve in the case of Åland. Why not? Russia also wants some islands of mine, but I don't want to give those away. So, maybe he's now blackmailing me; if I give those islands to him, he will allow me to continue my cooperation with Sve? However, he said he's sure that I want to give those islands to Germany instead, and that it should be he who's fortifying Åland with me, not Sve, because I recently belonged to him, not to Sve.

My marshal (my moustached ex-regent) said, that maybe I should give those islands to Russia. They are very hard to defend anyway. I don't know... my government doesn't like the idea of giving anything to anyone - Czechoslovakia did, and look what happened to them!

* * *

**August 21, 1939**

England and France have had military talks with Russia lately because of the threat of Germany. Russia wants permission to help me, Estonia, and Latvia (free hands, like he said) , if he thinks we're in "trouble", and I guess he wants to bring his forces to Poland's place too, that's all I know about the meetings. I said to England, that it's Russia who needs "help", not me, and I don't like how they are planning things behind our backs. And that "trouble" could be just anything, that would be an occupation, not helping! I'm sure the others don't like this either.

France seemed ready to agree with Russia... but I'm not sure about England. They have negotiated a long time now without any progress. And at least Russia's newspapers are sure that France and England are doing this deliberately so that they could sign a pact with Germany instead of with him.

* * *

**August 23, 1939**

Now this is something surprising! Russia and Germany signed a non-aggression pact together. I wonder what happened? But maybe this is a good thing? However, there are already nasty rumours about the pact. But I hope rumors are just rumors.

... ... ...

Author's Notes: This is not supposed to be a history book, so certain mistakes may occur. Dates with xx are uncertain, only the year might be right... or wrong. Sometimes there are different dates. Hm, and I'm not sure should these years be called as calm, terrible things happened here and there, but for Finland it was more calm than it was during the civil war, so...

- _There was a street fight between Finnish speaking school kids and Swedish speaking kids_ - In 1930s it become possible to study in Finnish in the universities. But there were still a lot of disputes between the two groups. Now at least some of those who spoke Finnish wanted to have only one official language and some of those who spoke Swedish didn't want Finnish to have the same rights as them. These fights worsened relations between Sweden and Finland. Swedish become mandatory subject to the Finnish speakers in 1968 (90%) (and have caused at least verbal disputes to this very day, and apparently hardly anyone learns to use it). Finnish is also mandatory subject for the Swedish speaking Finns (5%) (excluding Åland. Only Swedish there. And not all of those Swedish speakers learn to use Finnish either.). Åland also wants, that its Finnish name Ahvenanmaa (or Maarianhamina for its capital) shouldn't be used in Finnish maps, because Finnish injures Åland's Swedish brand. Which is quite stupid, because not even Sweden is "Sverige" in those maps. And Finland is not "Suomi" in Åland's maps.

Oh, and the Sami's (or Sápmi's) in Finland got linguistic rights only in 1970 (or maybe it was 1968 too, not sure?). Alone in Finland's area, there lives three different Sami tribes who speak three different sami languages, and they don't understand each other at all.

- _I said to England, that it's Russia who needs "help", not me_ - They actually said something like that. It's also possible that Britain was ready to agree with the Soviets in some point (but Germany was faster); if I remember correctly, they tried their best to make the Finnish party to understand, that sometimes desperate situation needs desperate measures, and that it would be for the greater good. The Finnish party didn't understand, why they would need to be a sacrificial lamb in this deal. It was seen unfair. However, the Brits also poetically said that: "Finland has grown a lot, and she is now a really pretty girl. That's why everybody are asking her to dance with them, but she seems to think they are just harassing her, and she would like to dance alone. Don't worry, we wouldn't do anything that would endanger her innocence."

- _Russia and Germany signed a non-aggression pact together_ - And this is of course the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact. This was a public pact, but the secret protocols (where Estonia, Latvia, Finland, half of Poland, eastern Romania, and later Lithuania, were given to Russia's sphere of influence) were... secret.


	6. War during the Winter

**September 1, 1939**

I was barely awake when I got the latest news. Germany has apparently attacked against Poland. Luckily, Poland has allies, and he's not the smallest nation around, but right now the situation doesn't look too good for him. When my boss heard that Poland is not just going to give up, he said that "finally someone had the guts to shoot back".

* * *

**September 17, 1939**

Poland... well, England and France declared war against Germany couple days after the attack, but I'm not sure did anything else happen? And now the Soviets attacked against Poland too? It surely looks like it, even if they say they are not attacking... I need to watch this closely...

* * *

**September 22, 1939**

Estonia told me, that Russia sent him a letter where he wished to meet him today. I guess he will tell me later what it was about. I have never seen him leave as quickly as he did after he got the message.

* * *

**September 29, 1939**

I met Estonia today. We both were kinda nervous... He said he signed a mutual assistance treaty with Russia, and promised him, that he can build a military base to his area. I was surprised, but he said it was really an offer he couldn't refuse. Russia accused, that Estonia allowed a Polish submarine to escape using his waters, even if he's supposed to be neutral, and that is the reason why Russia should be in control of Estonia's coasts... But he said the treaty is valid only during this period of war, so it should be Ok.

* * *

**October 5, 1939**

I got a letter from Russia today... just like I was afraid. After Estonia, Latvia, and then Lithuania got similar letters too, and today Latvia signed a mutual assistance treaty with Russia, and he will let him build a military base to his territory, just like Estonia.

Russia tells in his letter that he wants to talk with me about some political issues.

* * *

**October 9, 1939**

Finally, I took the train to Moscow with couple other negotiators (I'm two days late!). People gathered around us before we left, they were all singing to me! Nice that they aren't arguing with each other anymore. One of the negotiators said to me, that if it was possible to overcome all the problems by singing, I wouldn't need to be afraid of anything.

But anyway, I'll give those stupid islands to him, if those are what he's after.

* * *

**October 12, 1939**

Sve, Norway, and Denmark tried to visit Russia today, and ask him not to endanger my neutrality with his presumptive demands. Russia didn't even open his door to them.

America visited him too, and well, he was allowed to meet Russia (and they say size doesn't matter, ha). After the meeting, America visited me. He said, that first he told Russia that he's neutral, and he doesn't really want to stick his nose in where it doesn't belong, he's the hero, but only on his own territory(?). But he also asked Russia not to pressure me too much, because we are old friends. Russia answered, that he knows America has sentimental interest in me, and assured that I have nothing to be afraid of. I hope so. Sentimental interest?

Well, I met Russia around 5 PM, his boss was with him. First we chatted a bit, Russia laughed when he told me he had heard that those people started to sing to me. I guess his spies know what they are doing. Oh, Russia... also had a weird broken piece of water pipe with him. I haven't seen that before...

Then we got to the point. He asked would I like to sign a mutual defence pact with him, like the other Baltics had signed. When I refused once again, he asked about a military base. I said no to that too. Then he revealed what he at least wants:

Those islands I talked about earlier, he wants also build a military base to my southern coast, he wants piece of the Karelian isthmus, wants to draw a new northern border because it doesn't look good (he was the one who draw it in 1920!), wants us to destroy fortifications we have built to our borders (I have built!), and an anchorage for his navy. For compensation I would get piece of his East-Karelia and permission to fortify Åland; alone, Sve or anybody else is not allowed there. He wants this way protect his border and his city.

We negotiated for a while, but then I said I have to ask these things from my boss. Russia said he hopes for urgent resolution; we have both mobilised our armies, accidents happen so easily after all.

* * *

**October xx, 1939**

Today, in negotiations with Russia and his boss, my young colonel wanted to ask a question from Russia's boss. He just smiled, smoked his pipe, and told him to tell what is bothering him. The colonel asked, that if the Soviet Union does not want one inch of foreign territory and will not give up one inch of its own, like they have said, how does this agree with their claims for Finnish territory?

Russia's boss was first silent and then said, that what they took from Poland was theirs and what has happened between the Baltic States and the Soviet Union has only strengthened their independence. And this proposition for me, well, we just have to decide for yourself, whether you will agree or not. Russia nodded.

I... I don't understand what he means. He also said that the great powers won't allow me to be neutral.

* * *

**October 21, 1939**

I have talked and talked about those demands with my government. The worst one is that military base, it's way too dangerous, and I can't really be neutral if there are foreign soldiers on my soil. Other things might be negotiable, but not that. And... I don't like the idea of moving our border so much, my main fortifications are there... I'll meet Russia soon again, I hope he could remove at least that base from his list.

* * *

**November 9, 1939**

I met Russia again today. I'm not even sure how many times we have now met, but I still don't want to give him permission to build any military bases! My capital would be surrounded from two different directions, three if you count that base Estonia now has. And who is he afraid anyway, if they are now friends with Germany? He says he's not afraid of me, but England or somebody else might be a threat. That sounds ridiculous. So the negotiations broke down again. When I left, Russia wished me well, so maybe thinks are not so bad after all.

* * *

**November 26, 1939**

I got a message from Russia. He accuses that I tried to shoot him earlier today...? I sent him a letter where I explained why it's impossible, and asked why a nation of 3,5 million would shoot at an union of over 180 million. I wonder what he means by this?

* * *

**November 28, 1939**

Russia didn't like my answer. He says that because I'm hostile against him and because I continue shooting towards him, he will terminate our non-aggression pact from 1932. I sent him a letter where I told him it's illegal to terminate the treaty, because it's forbidden in the treaty. He didn't answer.

I wonder is he bluffing? I don't think he will attack or anything; this time of the year is the worst time to do it. But what is he up to?

His newspapers have gone mad. They want Russia to tame that little flea, to put a collar around his neck. I think they mean me.

* * *

**November 29, 1939**

America sent me and - I guess - Russia a message. He says that he doesn't care who is right and who is wrong, but if both parties agree, he could act as a neutral negotiator between us. I said yes, but Russia said we don't really need him.

* * *

**November 30, 1939**

Russia's troops attacked me this morning about 7 AM. No declaration of war, no final ultimatum, nothing! And during the afternoon bombing of the capital and other cities started. Threat from the air is all new to me, I have never really experienced it before... I think I'm in a big trouble...

* * *

**December 2, 1939**

Sve tried to meet Russia and act as my negotiator, but Russia didn't want to see him.

If you believe Russia's radio stations, I have a new government and my old government has escaped to an unknown location. And according to this new government, I'm the Finnish Democratic Republic nowadays and I have signed a mutual defence treaty with Russia. What is this? My real government is right here with me.

They say, that Russia's army comes here as a friend and liberator, not as an occupier, and together with the Finnish army corps (who are they?) they will bring the flag of the Finnish Democratic Republic to Helsinki and put it to the roof of my presidential palace! And I'll be united with Russia's East-Karelia, like I have always wanted to be...

No, no way. At least they saved me from the solution should I bend or fight. Fighting seems to be the only option now. My own marshal said I could propably fight two weeks...

Uh, America declared today, that he hopes that we both avoid unnecessary violence. Yes, I promise I'll try to...

* * *

**December 9, 1939**

Italy tried to help me secretly from Germany. He tried to smuggle weapons to me over Germany's yard, but the Swedish press revealed his intentions... and Germany prevented this after Russia and Germany read about it from the newspapers.

Maybe I can buy weaponry from him even after this, but he needs to transport them by ship and it will take a long time... Others don't like to sell me weapons, because it's forbidden to sell those to a country who is at war. Italy's boss doesn't care about the rules... Some of them sell them to Russia, though, because he says he has friendly relations with my government - that puppet one, that is. And because he has gold, that opens many doors.

I really need better weaponry, I promised to my soldiers to get us some anti-tank weapons, and they thought I will bring something ultimate with me... they were terrified when I brought them some bottles full of petrol. My cannons are from 1800s...

* * *

**December xx, 1939**

I and Estonia had a dispute today. Russia uses his Estonian base to bomb me, so I called him as my enemy's ally. He was really nervous and tried to deny it, but he said it's Ok if I want to bomb back... at least if I don't target his population centers. He said he's sorry, but he don't have the power to stop that. I shouldn't have yelled at him. Or considered to declare war against him.

* * *

**December 14, 1939**

Members of the League of Nations had a meeting today. They were negotiating how they should react to the war. Argentina wanted to kick Russia and the other Soviets out of the League. England, his brothers and other members of their commonwealth, France, Belgium, Bolivia, South-Africa, Egypt, and Dominican Republic agreed, so he was expelled. The other members were against or neutral.

I didn't really want to expel him. How can I now get contact to him on the neutral ground if he's not coming to the meetings anymore? And I don't think he even cares about this "punishment". Anyway, members of the League of the Nations were advised to give me help.

* * *

**December xx, 1939**

I have one really good sniper... he's already been nicknamed as the White Death, because he's almost as dangerous as the Black Death. Other snipers are called by Russia as Kukushka's (I think it means a cuckoo), because he thinks I shoot from the trees. Nonsense, but he refuses to believe otherwise, so I let him scan the trees. It would be stupid to shoot from a tree, in the worst case you would be trapped there. Trees are useful if you want to see far.

* * *

**January 12, 1940**

Sweden visited! He said some of his people are willing to join to my side... he really can't, because he can't be involved in the war. I also got some planes from him.

* * *

**January 20, 1940**

There's been a lot of talk about help England and France might send to me. By now, other countries have allowed some volunteers to come to help me, and I get letters full of sympathy from all around the world... which is really nice, but I could need some potential help too... and more food, and weaponry and... Only Germany has been cold as ice, I tried to get help from him too. Told me to surrender.

* * *

**January 29, 1940**

Today I got a letter from Russia. He says he's now ready to negotiate with my real government too, not only with that fake one. But he's not going to settle with demands he asked before the war, because he has lost a lot of blood, which is naturally my fault, because I was the one who started this war. He still wants that military base. I still don't want to give that. He has proved how dangerous he is.

* * *

**February xx, 1940**

My people have started to donate their golden engagement rings to me, so that I could buy some planes for air defence. I give them in exchange rings made of nickel silver. It's kinda cute, in it's own way.

* * *

**February 24, 1940**

England and France have finally decided to send me some help. But they don't know how their troops could be transported here, because Norway and Sweden refuse to let them go through their yards.

* * *

**February 27, 1940**

I talked with Sweden today. He refused to let the troops to come through his area to help me, because it would break his neutrality. He said that if England and France try to use force, he will fight against them. He also told me that I should give Russia anything he wants, because it's not about whole me anymore. And there's always a change to get those parts back afterwards, which is imposible if I'm completely gone.

My marshal said later to me, that maybe I should give Åland and northern parts of me to Russia; this way Sweden would get his old, dear neighbor back. I think he was joking, but I'm not sure, he's quite serious man after all. And he should remember it's not easy for Sweden either.

Also Germany has now started to panic and give me advices that I should make peace at any price, tells me to get everything back later. I guess something bigger is going on behind the scenes.

* * *

**February 28, 1940**

England said the Allies could send me about 13000 men to help, Sweden and Norway would get 150000 men to protect them from Germany, who will be furious when the Allies arrive to their territory... Hey... that sounds... well, I'm the one who is at war!

I also got a message full of panic from Russia. He wants to know as soon as possible am I going to negotiate with him or not. And if I don't decide it soon, he will start to negotiate with that fake government again. And France and England are sending me their assurances of assistance too, they almost threaten me to accept their aid. Fighting is still going on throughout the extent of the border... And is Russia panicked because of England and France? Or did Germany, whose is also panicking, say something to him? What should I do?

* * *

**February 29, 1940**

France visited me this night (nothing too weird happened!). He said that 13000 men was a mistake, they really meant 20000 men. Sweden and Norway aren't a problem either, I just need to accept their help and they will use force against them if necessary.

But I was already ready to send a message to Russia where I agreed to at least to negotiate. Maybe I'll consider this offer after all. But why they are so eager to help me when they are also in trouble with Germany?

* * *

**March 1, 1940**

Now... this is confusing... France promises to send 50000 men to help me, but when I talk with England he speaks about 6000 men. There's something fishy going on. Or maybe they don't know what the other one is speaking? One thing is now clear, I shouldn't wait for help. It would be too little, too unclear, and too late. I don't feel very fell.

Oh, the first planes I ordered from America months ago arrived today. He calls them as Buffalo's. They are great when you learn to fly them properly! They are like made just for me. I need to call him and thank him later.

* * *

**March 12, 1940**

Today, I signed the peace treaty. It was really devastating for me; I lost huge areas, and he will build that cursed military base. In addition, I have to build him a railway connection from my eastern border to western, which will mean one danger more for me. I also have almost half million people from seceded areas, who don't have homes or anything anymore. I guess I will get famine too.

And that... that huge blob is blaming me for all what happened! He says that I'm more dangerous than he thought, and that I'm obviously a vassal of England and France.

... ... ...

Author's Notes: This is not supposed to be a history book, so certain mistakes may occur. Dates with xx are uncertain, only the year might be right... or wrong. Sometimes there are different dates xD. It is said that Finnish snipers shot from trees... Finnish soldiers have always denied this. It's speculated that England and France were eager to help because it would've been a perfect excuse to take Norway and Sweden into custody before Germany gets the same idea. They were also interested in Sweden's iron ore. But I'm not sure are there any proofs and if that was the case, nobody other than the duo knew about it back then.

- _When my boss heard that Poland is not just going to give up_ - He died in 1940, so he never saw what happened later on.

- _People gathered around us before we left, they were all singing to me_ - the song that they sang was a Lutheran hymn called "Jumala ompi linnamme" (God is our castle) in English "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God".

- _Russia answered, that he knows America has sentimental interest in me_ - Sentimental interest, they used that word. Mainly because America went crazy about the fact that somebody is paying his depts. Finland was widely portrayed as a small northern country willing to give the shirt off its back, while its more affluent neighbors left their debts unpaid.

- _My main fortifications are there_ - The Mannerheim Line. The Soviets gave it its name, for the Finns it was just a defence line. And according to the Soviets, it was like the Maginot Line the French had - it was not. Rocks and trenches, and more rocks.

- _Russia's troops attacked me this morning about 7 AM. No declaration of war, no final ultimatum, nothing!_ - It's said, that the war's aim was namely the conquest of Finland by December 21st, which happened to be also Stalin's birthday.

- _And together with the Finnish army corps_ - They were Finns or Finnic people living in the Soviet Union. Sometimes even Russians, Belarusians or Ukrainians, because the Soviets couldn't find suitable candidates and they looked "Finnish enough". Mostly they weren't fighting, because the Soviets were afraid they will die before their main purpose (not sure what that was, to bring the flag to the presidential palace? Like if it was the will of the Finns? Be the new army of Finland?), and it was so hard to collect them from the Gulags in the first place. Surely there were also those who were volunteers. They wanted to show who are the true Red Finns.

- _The White Death, because he's almost as deadly as the Black Death_ - Not because of the Black Death, although it may had something to do with it. The White Death because of the earlier fights between The Whites and The Reds. The Soviets claimed in their propaganda, that they are only fighting against the White butchers who are now oppressing the Finnish workers.

- _By now, other countries have allowed some volunteers to come to help me_ - A Swedish squadron patroled in northern Finland during the Winter War, and then there were volunteers from a lot of countries (many volunteers didn't actually get a change to go to the battlefield, because their winter training took time and then the war was already over. In fact, only Swedes and Americans were there a longer time. 125 Norwegians were able to go to the front a couple of weeks before the end of the war, I guess Danish too), but the countries refused to participate officially and were afraid they will get involved, so they came up with all kinds of limitations to the volunteers; 5000 Italians wanted to volunteer too, but they didn't get passports, so finally there were only 7 Italians. Poles, who were refugees in France, wanted to join to the Finnish forces, but they got recruited to the Foreign Legion instead. In America there was a law that you can't join to foreign army that is in war. Over 25000 (!) Hungarians wanted to volunteer, but only 346 managed to arrive.

Volunteers: Sweden - 8700, Denmark 1010, Norway - 695, USA (American-Finns)- 372, Hungary - 346, the Soviet Union (Finnic people)- 350, Estonia - 56, Belgium - 51, Germany - 18, the Nertherlands - 17, the Great Britain - 13, Italia - 7, Poland - 6, Switzerland - 6, Latvia - 4, Luxemburg 3, Lithuania 2, Austria 2, France 2.

- _Only Germany has been cold as ice_ - Actually official Germany, but not his people. Some of them were surprisingly worried. "Germany would have all the less reasons to act against the strategic interests of the Soviet Union that has friendly relations with it, when Finland recently rejected with arrogance a non-aggression pact that was offered to it. When talking about the peace terms, in the press and discusssions it has been presented that these terms are in proportion to the sacrifices that the Soviet Union has suffered. "

_- England said the Allies could send me about 13 000 men_ - Germany is afraid that England and France will get a foothold from Norway (and Sweden), the Soviet Union is afraid that Finland will get help. Sweden is afraid that if England and France arrive to his area, Germany will come too. Finland is afraid help would be too late, or it would hurt Norway and Sweden more than help him. Everybody is screaming at Finland who is soon out of bullets, Germany, Sweden, and the Soviet Union urge him to make peace and England and France want him to continue fighting or else Germany will win this round. Norway is just confused. So am I.

- _My people have started to donate their golden engagement rings to me_ - That gold was never used for air defence. It was really hard to melt those ring into ingots. If I remember right, Finland used that gold to buy food from Sweden after the war.

- _Today, I signed a peace treaty_ - Finland wanted to have a truce during the negotiations, but the Soviet Union didn't agree. So they talked and at the same time fighting was still going on - peace was needed to make fast to avoid more loss of life. The Finns didn't understand why should Finland give more land to the Soviet Union than they had managed even to conquered. But at the same time they knew they could continue this only about a month, maybe even less... the help from the Allies would have been the last resort, it was so unrealistic. When the Finnish negotiators reminded Vyacheslav Molotov, that even Peter the Great had payed Sweden for the lost areas, he just bluntly pointed that the Finns can go ask compensations from Peter the Great then. Who was of course dead.

- _I have to build him a railway connection from my eastern border to western_ - It was built really slooowly. And after it was finished, it was always broken... Somebody always exploded it...


	7. Towards the new War

**March 20, 1940**

About a week ago, I suggested to Sweden and Norway that we should form a real defence union. This idiotic neutrality isn't working at all. Well, today Russia told me it would be against our peace treaty, because according to the treaty I can't join any alliances that are against him. But Sweden and Norway are not going to attack Russia! I tried to explain that Sweden and Norway are harmless nations, and joining with them wouldn't break the peace. He didn't want to listen.

And so what if it's against the treaty. Treaties are only paper. And I'm not sure would an alliance with Sweden, Norway or anyone of them be any good... I'm afraid of Russia, Denmark is afraid of Germany, Sweden is not sure which one he should be more afraid, and Norway thinks he will be safe from everybody. And Iceland still lives with Denmark.

Sve is ready to return those children who were moved to his place to safety during the war... and Estonia promised that children can visit his house during the summer. Otherwise the atmosphere in my house is depressed, people are arguing again, they have lost their faith in justice, moral and empathy, everything is in ruins, and I don't know what I'm going to do with those homeless people. They can't live in bomb shelters for the rest of their lives.

Well, I guess it could be even worse.

* * *

**March 31, 1940**

Russia created a new republic! It's right next to me and it's called as the Karelo-Finnish Soviet Socialist Republic, because it includes his East-Karelia and those areas taken from me. Is it a real nation? I mean, can it live, it's so artificial? And there aren't my people anymore, why its language is Finnish! And its leader is the same guy that was also the leader of that earlier puppet goverment... It makes me very nervous... maybe it's just my imagination.

* * *

**May 7, 1940**

Germany attacked against Denmark and then straight away against Norway... I guess Denmark wasn't prepared very well this time, but Norway is still fighting. Germany says he's protecting them from England's attack, and that's why he attacked them... everybody is making up stupid excuses.

* * *

**April 20, 1940**

I will not be the host of the Olympic games of 1940, like I was supposed to be. I decided to cancel the event because everything is a big mess now. And I'm afraid the only competitor would be Germany; everybody else is in danger to disappear from the map. And Russia hates the Olympic games nowadays. They are for the bourgeoisie.

* * *

**June 14, 1940**

Something weird is happening again. My passenger plane Kaleva, was apparently shot down. It usually flies between my and Estonia's place, and it delivers also diplomatic mail... And something bad is happening in the Baltic states too. France is right now in serious trouble with Germany, so no one is paying attention to this. I can't go to meet Estonia, his house is totally isolated!

* * *

**June 26, 1940**

Russia demands Romania to give him Bessarabia, Romania has four days time to decide what he will do. Bessarabia moved in with Romania in 1920, I think. Russia never liked that move... I guess Romania will decide to give Bessarabia away. He saw what happened to me earlier (and everybody else), and I don't think he wants to experience the same.

* * *

**July 7, 1940**

Estonia! Where are you! This is not fun!

* * *

**August 6, 1940**

I don't understand this... Russia says that the Baltics... Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, wanted to join his union and move in with him. All three? At the same time and so suddenly?

I don't know about the others, but I know Estonia. He would never done anything like that! And, well, I don't understand why would Latvia or Lithuania either. Lithuania got that area he and Poland were arguing about from Russia as a prize when he gave Russia a promise to build a military base to his area, but that can't be the reason to join that weird union!

* * *

**August 19, 1940**

Things are not looking too good... Last May my communists founded the Association-for-Peace-&-Friendship-Between-Finland-and-the-Soviet-Union and they have done a lot of weird things since.

Today, its members started fires and screamed scary logans and then a Canadian volunteer shot one of those "peace"-boys. Russia is getting even more noisy because of this. He says this may lead to serious consequences... I think I'm going to have a nervous breakdown soon. I hope I'm not going to "want" to join that union soon too.

* * *

**September 21, 1940**

Today, German soldiers arrived to my area... well, they are only passing by. My leaders promised to Germany, that they can use this route to transport their soldiers from Norway to their vacations. Sve made a similiar contract with him even earlier, so now they come from Sweden to here and from here to Sweden. Their presence makes me feel safer... which is crazy when you think about it.

I asked Germany does Russia know about this. He replied angrily, that he has informed Russia, but this is not his business in any way. Germany has also been subtly asking me what would I do if another war starts in this area, will I fight or surrender, and what I think about Russia etc. Their friendship seems to be even more fake nowadays.

Russia also got rights to transfer more troops by trains to his millitary base earlier in this month. I don't like this. I have no means to control to what he brings there. Who knows how many soldiers he have there! And what weapons. So those Germans are like a counterbalance. I don't think anything will happen as long as they are here.

* * *

**October 9, 1940**

Russia has wanted half of my nickel mines that are located in the "arm" since June. I have told him that the other half belongs to England and Canada, and I can't take it away from them. He asked am I one of England's colonies, because independent countries can do decisions like that without England's agreement... And he said he doesn't really need nickel, he just wants England out of there.

I don't understand why he's so worried about England? To me it looks like England is trying his best to lure Russia to their side because they need his help... Or is Russia only pretending to be worried about England? Germany purchases some nickel from the mines.

* * *

**October 18, 1940**

I and Sve have talked about forming an union. Today, Sve said that if we are going to do that, I have to give up any possible hopes I may have to get my lost areas back. He also said, that he sees hidden hate in my eyes, he's a bit worried about that.

And we also need to ask permission from Germany and Russia. I don't understand why, they don't own us, even if my and Germany's relations are getting better.

This will give all my decision powers back to Sve... Back to the very beginning, it seems. Maybe it will be for the best.

* * *

**November 3, 1940**

...Germany announced already last month that he doesn't accept an union between me and Sve. And today Russia told Sve what he thinks about it: the answer was no way! So I and Sve will not go back together.

Russia has already called me a Swedish vassal. I can't be everybody's vassal! Britain's political prostitute, Swedis vassal etc. What he thinks? There's only one name he doesn't mention... someone who has been really nice to me lately - nicer than anybody else. Someone, who acts like crazy everywhere else. Should I trust him?

* * *

**November 30, 1940**

Germany told me something interesting. He said he met Russia this month, and they had some kind of argument about me, and Germany is sure he threatened me with a new war. But Germany said I don't need to worry anymore. He doesn't allow anyone to attack against me. Well, I really hope so. It's so nice to heard something like that.

* * *

**December 21, 1940**

Germany is planning something big, it's about Russia, but he didn't reveal too much. He wants to know what I think about it. I'm not sure what I'm going to do.

* * *

**February xx, 1941**

I spend a lot of time with Germany nowadays. I still don't know will he attack this spring or when, but apparently he's going to attack against Russia someday. Or not.

* * *

**April 25, 1941**

I may get a change to get everything back... with interest. Yes, I deserve those areas. Germany said that even earlier. People will get their homes back... Should I resist this? And why should I?

* * *

**June 22, 1941**

Germany attacked against Russia and the other soviets during the night. I knew the exact date already a week ago, but I don't think it really was any secret to anyone after Germany started to move his troops more actively.

I haven't done much yet, but Germany's boss mentioned me during his radio speech. This was a surprise to me actually... My social democrats and some other people are against the war, some are not, and I have told everybody that I'm neutral... well, at least at the moment I'm very neutral. There are both German and Russian soldiers on my soil. Later... hm, well, I told them I can't be neutral if there are foreign soldiers on my soil, didn't they listen?

* * *

**June 25, 1941**

I attacked Russia today. I told that I attacked, because Russia started to bomb me again. And well, technically he did, but of course things are not that simple. It's what I wrote about stupid excuses earlier.

* * *

**August xx, 1941**

America tried to visit me today. I didn't want to meet him. I guess he tried to act as a negotiator between me and Russia. It's too late now. There's no turning back.

* * *

**September 4, 1941**

There are mines - everywhere! At first, I wondered what makes them to explode all of sudden. Soon we discovered that these mines were set off when a three-note chord was played on the frequency the radio was tuned to causing three tuning forks to vibrate at once. So, we started to play our own tune on the same frequency. The song is called as the "Säkkijärven polkka", and it really makes the mines unusable.

We're playing it constantly, all day and night. I think Germany would lost his mind if he was here right now.

* * *

**December 6, 1941**

England and his bros. declared war against me today. It means that I'm also at war with Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, and South-Africa. My men are joking, that it's good, because now they can shoot at every direction and they don't need to be careful not to hit any friends. I'm not sure did Germany understand it was just a joke?

I don't think England can really attack here, almost all the countries that surround me are captured by Germany, and England can't go through their yards, but I guess he did bomb Germany's soldiers who are in northern areas.

... ... ...

Author's Notes: This is not supposed to be a history book, so certain mistakes may occur. Dates with xx are uncertain, only the year might be right... or wrong. Sometimes there are different dates. I don't know what to say about this one... Finland is doing something stupid...

- _Sve is ready to return children who were moved to his place to safety during the war _- During 1939-44 about 70 000 children were sent to Sweden (some to occupied Denmark and Norway). And about 15 000 stayed there permanently. This has been sometimes considered as a mistake, as some of the kids felt they were abandoned.

- _It's right next to me and it's called as the Karelo-Finnish Soviet Socialist Republic_ - It's not sure why this was created. It was too small to be a Soviet republic according to the Soviet Union's rules, Finns and Karelians were actually a minority in the area, and its leader was the same guy as the leader of that earlier Finnish puppet goverment, Otto Wille Kuusinen (Republic's abolation happened in 1956 when Finland asked for it). Kuusinen was never allowed to return to Finland, not even after he hear he was terminally ill. The government of Finland denied his request every time.

- _the Association-for-Peace-&-Friendship-Between-Finland-and-the-Soviet-Union_ - It was abolished in December 1940. It came back as the Finnish-Soviet Association almost right after the war.

- _He said he met Russia this month, and they had some kind of argument about me _- Well, yes, but they talked a lot about other thinks too. But of course Germany told only about this part, about the question of Finland and its settlement within the framework of the agreement of last year. Molotov declared that he imagined this settlement on the same scale as in Bessarabia and in the adjacent countries.

- _Russia started to bomb me. And well, technically he did _- About 500 Soviet planes started to bomb Finland. When Finland accused the Soviet Union about this, the answer was that it was because Finland had Germans on its soil. Finland would have propably attacked anyway, but this made ordinary people even more mad and more eager to attack.

- _I'm also at war with Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, and South-Africa _- Actually they declared war the day after. So, Finland was officially at war with the Soviet Union, Britain, Australia, South African Union, India, Canada, Czechoslovakia, the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, New Zealand and the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic. I don't know why Belarus and Ukraine were separated from the Soviet Union in this case and in the Czechoslovakia case it was government in exile.


	8. The War Continues

**December 11, 1941**

Couple days ago, Japan attacked against America's naval base and declared war against him, and today Italy and Germany did the same thing. Declared war, I mean, they didn't attack.

So, it looks like America will join the war more openly now too.

* * *

**December 15, 1941**

Germany's allies are... well, I don't know. It's hard for Hungary and Romania not to start a fight against each other, but otherwise I like Hungary, and Romania is Ok too... when you're not with Hungary. Bulgaria doesn't want to attack Russia, but he lets Germany use his territory, and he seems to be more than eager to attack against America and the others for the reasons I don't know, Italies, well, Germany is constantly yelling at them. Then there is of course Japan, but I don't see him very often. Prussia... occupied Austria etc. They are... well...

And then there's me. Although I said to Germany, that I'm only his brother-in-arms, and I'm not going to sign the Tripartite Pact or any other treaties with them (well, I did sign the Anti-Comintern Pact). I occupied my old areas, destroyed that cursed military base about a week ago, and occupied the East-Karelia too. I'm not going any further than this, my people are getting nervous. I said to Germany that I'm tired because of my last war, and he didn't protest much.

England tried to stop me even earlier, before he declared the war. He said that the Allies will guarantee my independence if I don't exceed my old borders. Guarantee, how? They even say that the Baltics are independent, when they are not. And If I cut ties with Germany now... he will not be happy about it. And I'm not sure would I even want to! These areas are now MINE. All of them. I'm not going to be anymore a small nation whom everybody will all the time sell to each other! I'll be something more great than that!

* * *

**May 26, 1942**

England and Russia signed a contract about an alliance today. They promised to help each other against Germany, neither one is going to make separate peace with the enemy, after the war they will work together, and they will make sure Germany will never start wars again.

If Germany or his allies are going to attack them after the war anyway, they also signed a mutual assistance treaty. It's valid for 20 years after the war. Oh, and neither one of them wants any new areas or aren't going to interfere in the affairs of other countries, Russia just wants the borders of -40. And then there were all kind of promises of help to each other etc. Ehm...

* * *

**June 4, 1942**

Today is my marshal's birthday. So, Germany surprised me by giving me a huge pile of roll of films. When I asked why, he said his boss decided to invite himself to celebrate my marshal's birthday, and I have to take pictures of this historical event.

When his boss finally arrived, one of the chimneys almost made his plane crash, but I guess the faith decided otherwise. The plane managed to land safely.

Germany talked about Italy. Italy this and Italy that. And then Italy... and Italy... His boss told us again what they talked about me with Russia in November two years ago. And then he talked about Italy. And all I could think about was, that right now I'm the most important target to bomb to the ground because this man is here.

Things got even more uncomfortable when they found out we had...um, bugged them. My marshal and my boss managed to calm them down, promised to seal what was recorded, and nobody's throat was cut. And all that talk about Italy was saved and forever to be sealed.

* * *

**June 5, 1942**

America declared war against Bulgaria, Hungary, and Romania, because they declared war against him.

* * *

**August xx, 1942**

One of Germany's leaders have been asking weird questions about my certain, tiny minority group. My prime minister reminder him, that Germany promised me that he will not touch any of my citizens, whoever they are. Good.

* * *

**September 18, 1942**

People think nowadays more and more, that Germany will lose this war eventually. Maybe, maybe not, but all I can do is sit and watch what will happen.

* * *

**November xx, 1942**

Some people were deported... they were originally from Germany's place, and he wanted them back. There would have been probably even more, but this was leaked to the papers by one of them, and it caused anger among the population and among certain members of the government. So now nobody else of these refugees will be deported back to where they came from.

* * *

**February 1, 1943**

Germany lost one of his most important battles against Russia last month.

He's been mocking his allies to me... but remembered to point out, that he didn't mean me. I'm just too small. He said, that if my population was, let's say 40 000, we could rule the world together. Ha, he noticed his mistake and tried to say something flattering... I asked, that if my population was 40 000, what makes him think _I_ would share the world with him? Insert insane laughter to this point.

It was just a stupid joke, I joke when I'm nervous, but his stare didn't look amused. And he wouldn't share it me, either. I know what certain people of his think about me.

* * *

**February xx, 1943**

I finally met Estonia, secretly, because Estonia is now occupied by Germany as are the other Baltics, and for some reason Germany doesn't want us to meet. He goes furious every time I try to talk about Estonia to him.

Estonia told me a little bit what has happened to him, and how the things are now. It didn't sound good at all... He wants some of his trusted soldiers to fight in my army so that they could get some war experience. He believes, that there may be a change to get rid of the occupiers at some point. It depends how this war will go on. And most of them don't want to fight in the German army.

But because Germany doesn't want Estonia to be with me, we needed to make a plan how he could be here and move more freely without fear of being caught. Well, by changing his hair style and taking off his glasses. And by wearing my uniform. Now nobody notices it isn't me but somebody else, at least if you look from far away. A real Finland-boy.

* * *

**March 30, 1943**

There are rumours that America may declare war against me, if I don't soon decide what I will do. And then some person from Germany told me, that if I continue to talk with America, I may need to share Norway's fate. Was he only trying to scare me? Things are not looking too great. My army has been in a trench warfare so long, it doesn't have as much war experience as the others anymore.

* * *

**April 2, 1943**

America sent me a note. He asked do I trust in his goodwill. Yes... I guess, but not in his friend's. America doesn't understand why... Another question was, do I want peace. Yes, to this too. And if my answer is yes, America says he will try to help me to make a honorable peace with the borders of -40. Why Russia gets to keep what he took and I don't?

Oh, and if I don't answer, this is finito, he says he will not try help me anymore. But if I answer, I wonder what Germany will do? I can't be at war with Germany and Russia at the same time. And Germany delivers almost all the food I need. But I guess I should send some answer to him anyway.

And surprisingly, Switzerland sent me a message, where he told that I shouldn't listen America too much. He's busy at the pacific, and of course they try to get me out of the war... He said I should find some way to get out of this mess. Everybody is thinking only their own best, including me.

* * *

**June xx, 1943**

America's propaganda meant for me is so weird... He says that I'm a rabbit. A rabbit! And rabbits should not hang out with carnivores - wolves - because they are dangerous to rabbits, too. I guess Germany is a wolf, then. But I don't think rabbits should hang with bears either... sometimes he just mocks me or rages to me.

Russia's propaganda is just creepy. There was a radio show about ghosts, and he interrupted it telling that soon we all will join with ghosts personally and know what afterlife is. Sometimes he likes to declare me as mentally ill, tell that I should be put into a straitjacket for life, and then tells that even Germany is afraid of me. Germany hides his fear very well, if that's the case.

England's propaganda is clear and pretty boring, but he focuses on the essentials. It's the most dangerous of these all, it's sensible.

Germany's propaganda tells about his greatness and victories. My own propaganda to my own people is not much better.

* * *

**September 10, 1943**

The Allies attacked Italy this month and Italy was ready to surrender...? but now it looks like the Northern Italy will continue on Germany's side. His old government is not ready to give up yet.

* * *

**January 27, 1944**

Russia managed to break through the siege of his city. Germany's troops are retreating.

I think Germany is more and more delusional these days. Now he's sure, that I and Russia staged the Winter war. Russia just pretended to be weak so he could get Germany attack against him and lure him into his trap. He's delusional.

* * *

**February 7, 1944**

Last night there was a huge aerial attack against the capital. At least 730 planes dropped estimated 6 990 bombs, some of them hit the sea. Good thing that my aerial defense knows what they are doing now. And Germany helps too. Still, it caused pretty heavy damages.

* * *

**February 17, 1944**

The capital was bombed again during the night... this time there were 383 enemy planes and number of bombs been dropped was 4 317. I was better prepared this time.

* * *

**February 22, 1944**

Russia... bombed Sve today! I guess the attack was meant to hit me, but somehow they got lost to Sweden's side instead?

* * *

**February 27, 1944**

Bombs again. 896 planes, at least 5 182 bombs. Only about 290 bombs hit the city this time. But this must stop.

So, we forced one captured spy to sent a message to Russia. We made him lie that my capital is completely crushed, that there's hardly anything left. Then we sent one famous actor of ours to Sweden. She will cry her eyes out there (sorry Sve). If I'm lucky, Swedish newspaper will believe this. Russia hears about this first from his spy, and then he reads about it from the neutral Swedish newspapers... He can't be sure what is the real information and what is fake. And it's enough if his scary boss believes this... nobody in their right mind will correct him later... Maybe this will work.

But I really need to make that peace somehow.

* * *

**March 29, 1944**

My peace negotiators visited Russia secretly couple days ago. He wants me to get the Germans out of my area, wants the borders of -40, and I need to pay war reparations to him (600 million dollars). Not sure was that all, but the main points anyway.

Russia scolded me, told that I'm a bad nation. Said that he gave me my independence, and I started two wars against him, three if that what happened during the civil war is counted... I didn't start that first war. Useless to think I would take the blame! But... well, I guess I did quite bad damage to him during this war...

According to my marshal, that point about the Germans is still dangerous. They still have good positions in north and in south in Estonia's place, and he's not sure could I beat them right now. They could occupy me, and that would mean that somebody needs to rescue me. That's the worst situation that could happen. Yes, I know what happened to Hungary (Italy). This is like a criminal gang, once you're in, you can't go out.

And that 600 million dollars... I'm never able to pay that. So it doesn't really matter will this war situation continue or not, because the result would be the same in the both cases: I'm occupied if I can't pay, and I know it's impossible.

I need to buy some time. My marshal said it's important that my army is still standing when the time to make peace comes.

* * *

**June 9, 1944**

Huge attack! And I mean HUGE! My marshal was sure Russia will not attack anymore, because he doesn't actually need to do so, and because everybody else hurries towards Germany's place, and I'm not exactly on the route, so we weren't prepared for this! I have no time to write, I must go back to the war field right now!

* * *

**June 20, 1944**

We have retreated too much already. If I need to retreat more, we will soon reach my new defence lines. The ones I built after the Winter War... The ultimate attack is still going on.

* * *

**June 22, 1944**

Russia demands an unconditional surrender. At least it sounded like that. What the...? One should never ask for peace when there is a huge attack going on. I'm not going to sign anything like that!

Sve insist that I should. He says it's not probably as bad as it sounds. But I think it's even worse.

* * *

**June 23, 1944**

Germany demands me to sign a treaty with him, where I promise that I'll not make a separate peace with Russia. If I don't sign, he will withdraw all his military- and other support, and I need to handle this current attack all alone - without weapons. I can't sign anything like that either!

* * *

**June 28, 1944**

My boss signed the treaty with Germany today. He promised I won't negotiate peace with Russia without Germany's consent... and that I'll fight with Germany till the bitter end. This must be the most idiotic treaty ever signed. Everybody knows Germany will lose, and my boss said he will be hanged for this. But I can't agree with Russia. It's out of the question.

This caused scandal abroad, and America said he will cut all ties with me because I'm going to commit suicide with Germany. I'm definitely not... I just need to... gain some time. Yes, some time. Time to think. Heck, I don't know what I'm going to do. The only good point about this is, that nobody can guess my moves, when I don't know them either.

Romania came to visit me. He asked have I heard about the rumours how Germany is going to make a separate peace with Russia and that he will sell us others out. I have hear about this, but maybe it's just a rumour?

* * *

**July 7, 1944**

Russia sent me a message. He's angry because my boss signed a contract like that with Germany, but he's ready to negotiate with me now. And I can forget that requirement for an unconditional surrender.

Russia wants to negotiate with me even if I just promised to Germany I'll not negotiate without his permission?

He also said that he's not going to negotiate with my current boss, but my marshal is Ok if I need him, even if he's already quite old. And even if he doesn't really like him either. (I don't think it should be called as a negotiations, peace terms are propably dictated, as usual)

* * *

**August 1, 1944**

My old boss resigned, and now my marshal is my new boss. He told to Germany, that what my old leader promised to Germany, doesn't affect him. The contract was never approved by the parliament, and I never signed it, so I don't need to follow it. Only my ex-boss, personally, promised to stay with Germany till the end, not me. Germany wasn't happy. Not happy at all. And he doesn't want my ex-boss to serve in his armed forces, I guess.

Estonians who were here are leaving back to their home country. They want to fight for Estonia.

* * *

**August 28, 1944**

Romania surrendered... The United Nations promised to guarantee Romania's independence, and now he needs to join the war against Hungary with Russia. Hm... Romania is occupied, I wonder how the UN can guarantee their independence? I'll follow this closely, maybe I'll learn something.

* * *

**September 3, 1944**

Germany is mad at me. He told me this is a matter of life and death. My death. He said I'm going to die without him. He said that he's my only friend in this world (I'm afraid it is soon like that the other way round, too). My marshal tried to explain things to him and gave him a bucket full of fresh crabs. Germany is sure that our treaty is valid. It can't go like that according to him.

* * *

**September 4, 1944**

Truce with Russia starts today at 7 AM. I said to Germany, that his troops need to leave before September 15, or else I need to disarm them. I hope he will not protest against this.

* * *

**September 5, 1944**

Truce with Russia was supposed to start yesterday, but Russia started it today at 8 AM. My soldiers couldn't reply to the fire. So we were just running and dodging bullets yesterday. It was crazy. And not in a good way. I wonder what that was all about? An error in the communication? Revenge? Or maybe Russia thought I didn't cut ties with Germany properly yet?

Some of my soldiers gave their watches to their Russian counterparts because of this. They probably didn't know why they did so... and they shouldn't be talking to each other anyway. It's forbidden.

* * *

**September 15, 1944**

War against Germany started today. Well, I kinda managed to agreed with Germany earlier, that his troops will retreat peacefully and my troops will just follow after them and look angry. I'm not sure how long this surprisingly harmless war will last. I guess they don't want to fight in the middle of the dark forests anymore. They are already tired.

* * *

**September 19, 1944**

Interim peace with Russia and England was signed (Russia wanted signatures from all the Finns that were in the room). They both sat behind a round table when I walked in the room.

Well, anyway, I lost again those areas that I lost already in -40. And that other "arm" went too, because Russia wants to be Norway's neighbor too. I need to pay war reparations to Russia (300 million dollars), close associations that are anti-Soviet/fascist and communism is legal again. Size of my army is to be reduced... Oh, and I need to get the Germans out and let the Allied Commission come in etc, etc. But the worst surprise was that Russia still wants that military base. And it's not in it's old location anymore. it's even closer to my capital than it used to be.

Russia said to England, that I was used as a Germany's little toy, and that they should make sure I will never be used as a gun against him. He also said that maybe he should take indepencence away from me, because I clearly can't use it properly. England, who looked bored and mostly listened and nodded to the remarks, said that Russia can't cancel the recognition of my independence. It doesn't go like that. He looked surprised.

Oh, and the Germans tried to make a landing to one of my old islands. I managed to stop that. Maybe our peaceful war will end soon? They attacked like the real enemies.

... ... ...

Author's Notes: This is not supposed to be a history book, so certain mistakes may occur. Dates with xx are uncertain, only the year might be right... or wrong. Sometimes there are different dates. This was hard to write, because, well it's the time of WW2, and the war, as everybody knows, was really devastating. Not much about battles here, because you can't really write in you diary when you are fighting. Most stuff here are from the official documents.

- _... Prussia... Austria etc_ - Well, Austria was occupied country.

- _Italy was saved and forever to be sealed_ - In reality there were only couple sentences about Italy. Mostly he talked about how the Soviet Union has over 35,000 tanks and how Germany's armament is mostly good weather armament.

- _And Germany delivers almost all the food I need_ - Not for free... everything from Germany, weapons etc. costed money.

- _A real Finland-boy_ - Suomen-pojat, or in Estonian, Soomepoisid (Finnish boys), was an Infantry Regiment made mostly of Estonian volunteers who didn't want to fight in the ranks of the German armed forces. Germany didn't like them. Neither did the Soviet Union. Of course Estonia also had people who cooperated with either Germany or the Soviet Union - forcibly enlisted and volunteers.

- _ If I'm lucky, Swedish newspaper will believe this. Russia hears about this first from his spy and then he reads about it from the neutral Swedish newspapers..._ - It's not sure did the Soviets believe that they managed to destroy the city... one Soviet official commented when he arrived to Helsinki after the peace treaty, that "you surely are fast builders". And on December 6, 1944, that squadron's rank was reduced heavily.

- _And I started two wars against him_ - In the 90s, Boris Yeltsin admitted the Soviet Union started the winter war.

- _Huge attack! And I mean HUGE!_ - Not the Invasion of Normandy, but for some reason the timing is almost the same.

- _We will soon reach my new defence lines_ - It was called as the Salpa Line, or as literally, the Bolt-line. Its official name was Suomen Salpa (_Finland's Bolt_). It was 1200 km (745.65 miles) long, but it was never tested in a battle.

- _I'm definitely not... I just need to... gain some time_ - Lies, you didn't have the plan B. So, I guess the plan was actually just to fight. That unconditional surrender would have given to the Soviets the right to occupy the territory of Finland, its ports and islands, and Åland without fighting. All the members of Finnish Civil guards were ordered to be interned.

- _According to Germany, secret messages sent with it are impossible to read by outsiders_ - You wish, Tino. The Polish Cipher Bureau first broke Enigma ciphers in 1932. Later it was given to French and British military intelligence.

- _Germans tried to make a landing to one of my old islands - _It was called as Operation Tanne Ost. And it was agreed with the German soldiers that they retreat peacefully, their big bosses didn't propably know about this. The plan to capture Åland was called Operation Tanne West, but it was never carried out (Tanne Ost = Fir East, Tanne West = Fir West)


	9. Right after the War

**September 22, 1944**

Today, I and Sve carried out operation Stella Polaris. We have talked about this since beginning of this year, and now was the right time. I and Sve met at the sea, where I handed him all the info I have gathered during the war, there's stuff about America, Germany, Russia, England and almost all the others, and he also got a German machine called Enigma. According to Germany, secret messages sent with it are impossible to read by outsiders.

My radio intelligence and their families will also go with Sve, only I will go back, of course. They will decide what they will do it with all that material, maybe they will sell it to America or somebody else. I don't want it to end up to Russia if... something goes horribly wrong. And hey, nobody forbid me to give stuff to a neutral country, so I'm not breaking any treaties either.

Oh, and Sve looked fine. His warship was very impressive.

* * *

**September 23, 1944**

First members of the Allied control commission arrived yesterday, and today here came even more of them. Well, they were all Russia's members, England's will arrive later. They are here to make sure I'll obey the treaty I signed.

145 of them will be Russia's and about 15 England's. This also means that Russia and England have the right to snoop my house upside down, and come here when ever they like. Those human members will live in hotel Torni (I guess England would call it as hotel Tower). It's the tallest building in my capital (14 floors, huuge!), you can almost see Estonia's place from there if you use your imagination. Speaking about Estonia, you can sometimes see small boats full of his people. They are trying to row to Sweden. Sometimes they are asking me to come with them. It's too dangerous to stay. I hope nobody else sees them.

Oh, and there was already a small argument with the control comission... you see, some of the interned Germans will stay at the hotel's top floor, and the comission will live at the hotel's ground floor. The comission doesn't want to be in the same building with them, but I can't do much about the situation. I promised to place more guards there.

And I got bad news, Russia doesn't want money as war reparations, he wants all kind of stuff, ships, machines etc. I don't understand how I can provide those to him. And that 300 million is measured in the prizes of -38, not today's, so it's more like 600 million now. This wasn't mentioned when I signed the papers.

* * *

**October 1, 1944**

Today, I attacked seriously against the German troops. Russia realised the deception, so I kinda had to. Now there is a hostage situation going on. I guess I need to... take some hostages too... I will use his own methods against him...

* * *

**October 21, 1944**

It almost feels that Russia doesn't like me to talk with England when he is here. Yesterday, Russia told me that England will arrive, and I went to meet him at the airport. He never showed up. Well, apparently he arrived today instead, and no one received him at the airport. Russia smiled and said he made a mistake.

It's not like England talks to me much, or is here often anyway. He doesn't want break his relations with Russia. The war against Germany is still going on, they are both busy. And so am I. Those people from the control commission want constantly this and that.

* * *

**October 29, 1944**

Russia blames that I don't fight like I should fight against the German forces. Says that I bombed him without guilt, but I don't want to do so to Germany. It's not like that, but I don't understand why should I fight so much when they are retreating anyway. Russia also said that he wants fighting, loot, and prisoners, and if I don't take this seriously he will come to help me.

I'm more afraid of that help than this war... Some of his troops are already on my side of the border, but they aren't really doing anything. Just watching. I let them be, but I need to make sure they don't come too far.

Oh, and today Russia promised as much sugar and tea as I need. And... chocolate sweets "those that the Finnish children like so much". That's... nice. So nice it's creepy. And I thought he had a shortage of food, too?

* * *

**November 19, 1944**

Russia says, that everything that used to belong to Germany is now his. Even weapons. I tried to explain, that almost all the weapons I have now are from Germany, and if I give them to him, I don't have weapons at all, and I can't fight against Germany. It's already hard enough to demobilize at the same time you still needs to fight against somebody.

Of course I have those weapons I have stolen from Russia, but he didn't say anything about them.

This means, that all the money I owed to Germany, I owe now to Russia.

* * *

**January 12, 1945**

Sve promised to deliver some food to me because I don't get it from Germany anymore. It's not enough, but better than nothing. He is free to do so now, because there is no blockade anymore... (I will never understand why I had a blockade, but Germany didn't have) and... Russia promised to deliver food, too. All I need to do is ask. And that demand for the prizes of -38... well it was changed a bit. Today, Russia was angry because his friendliness wasn't mentioned in the newspapers, but Sve's was.

* * *

**January 16, 1945**

Uh, Russia and England found out, that my people have hidden weapons here and there, just in case. At first Russia was quite calm, he said he would have done so also (I don't like to think the same way as he), but when he hear there are weapons enough for over 35 000 people, he went crazy. They say those people need to be punished.

And England thinks I'm mad. Absolutely crazy. Said that my people drink too much nowadays, I'm always late, and that I have all the symptoms of a nervous breakdown. He thought that I act like this because I'm not allowed to meet Sweden right now. Not really.

Good think that they don't know that those people from that underground organization are also listening their phone calls and reading their telegrams.

* * *

**January 27, 1945**

My relations with Russia are awful again (well, they were not good in the first place). He says I'm constantly spitting the Soviet Union in the face. It's because some of his demands are ridiculous! It may be fun for school children to rip pages and blacken sentences from their books, but does he really think I will forget certain things if I can't read about them? And then I yelled something to him in German, but that was just an accident, because I got so used to use that language. He just looked really amused.

And I think England will soon go crazy with us. He says he is so tired of all of this and that he will leave. And he will never come back. But he stayed anyway.

* * *

**February 22, 1945**

Russia told me, that the Allies agree during the Yalta Conference that they have all the rights to intervene in the affairs of liberated nations and those nations who fought along with Germany. I wonder what was exactly agreed upon?

* * *

**March 14, 1945**

I heard, that the nations of Yugoslavia complained to Russia, that he's too lenient towards me. No purges (they and their purges!), my marshal is still my boss, I didn't need to give my war criminals to Russia, and moreover what bothers them the most; Russia sends here high quality artists, but they get only some crappy ones.

I don't know why Russia is so keen to send those artists here, England calls it as a weird smiling campaign. At first he thought it's some kind of propaganda to the other Allies, but Russia really doesn't want to talk about it. So it can't be that.

Orchestras, art exhibitions etc. Really creepy pictures of Germany in those art exhibitions, by the way. And about orchestras, well, my people are happy they can dance again; dancing was forbidden during the wars.

* * *

**March 18, 1945**

I had parliamentary elections today. For the first time my communists were candidates as well... my social democrats won the elections, communists came second! Russia hates my social democrats, for the reasons I don't understand, but he likes my communists. But I'm... not so fond of them... And social democrats and communists don't like each other either. They are more like rivals.

I guess I need to give them some positions in the government. My marshal-boss said I shouldn't, but one of them will probably become my minister of the Interior. So, he'll be in charge of the police forces... My boss said that this doesn't matter much as long as the army is in his hands.

* * *

**April 25, 1945**

Sve called me. He wanted to know am I alright, and told, that he managed to talk with Hungary, and she told to him that her life is horrible, but she needs to say to everybody that she's Ok. I tried to assure Sve, that I'm really alright, that I'm constantly threatened, but that's something I'm really used to.

* * *

**April 27, 1945**

The last Germans retreated from my territory. They used scorched earth tactics, so most of the northern areas were burned completely down. Ah, well... it's really a small thing if you compare what have happened elsewhere... I managed to evacuate my people out of the way in time.

And my new minister of the Interior deported some of my citizens to Russia. According to the Allies, I need to deport all the Soviet Union's citizens who are here back to them (some of them are currently escaping to Sweden, and police officers who are under the minister of the Interior are trying to catch them. Those who are here against their will actually want back), but he shouldn't have given them to him.

There is also another phenomenon - those foreigners, mainly Germans, who have lived here for years, but who have never obtained my citizenship, are now rushing to get one. Russia thinks they are suspicious, I think they are just scared.

* * *

**May 9, 1945**

Germany surrendered yesterday. But according to Russia, he surrendered today? I'm not sure what happened there? But the war is finally over. Well, they're still fighting in Asia.

* * *

**August 8, 1945**

Russia demands, that I finally punish the perpetrators of the war. Last year, he gave me a list of my war criminals and they're in jail. But who are the war perpetrators? My ex-leaders? Russia wants me to punish them, but he said that he doesn't want to hear anything about the so-called Winter War in the court. It's anti-Soviet to speak about it, and it never happened anyway.

He also said, that he will not blame my marshal about anything, even if he knows he was active in my politics before the war. Nobody is allowed to touch him. Why? Because he's now my boss? Well, I'm not going to argue against.

* * *

**September 26, 1945**

Åland wants to live with Sweden again. He can't stand these conditions anymore... he says, that if I don't agree with him, he will ask Russia's help. Russia will not help him to do that, ha! To him, we are a packet. He doesn't want Sweden to come too close. And Sve doesn't seem to be interested in his idea, either.

And anyway, I told Åland, that I will shoot everybody who goes near him without my permission. And that I don't care about the consequences. (Some of my people want to sell him to Sweden with one Swedish krona because they think he's a traitor. Or to Russia. Not going to happen.)

* * *

**December xx, 1945**

My communists are visiting hotel Torni almost every day now. I wonder why? And those English members of the control commission talk to me much more than they used to.

* * *

**February xx, 1946**

I'm in a big trouble again. Those war reparations will drive me into a bankruptcy in a no time, and it's hard to get loans from anybody.

So, I was desperate enough to beg some money from America. He said everybody knows that it's impossible for me to pay that kind of amount of money - that's why nobody gives me loans, I can never pay them back. He said that I'm a lost cause, and it seems I'm now going under for the third time.

Well, finally he said that he needs to refrain any and all public statements about my position, because the Soviet union might interpret them as a challenge to the policies he is pursuing for me (And what are those policies? I don't like this!). But of course he can help me secretly in economic terms. He promised to sell me his old war time stuff he doesn't need anymore. With a good discount, of course.

* * *

**March 4, 1946**

My boss resigned. He has been very sick lately, and he has been more with Switzerland than with me. My ex-prime minister is now my boss. He's one of those people who acted as my peace negotiators earlier. He yells to me all the time. He yells to everybody, not in public, though. The best word to describe him is a "machiavellian".

He even said all of my people are idiots. I wonder does he count himself and me as idiots too? Russia likes him a little bit. He doesn't know he has called also him as an idiot...

* * *

**March 5, 1946**

England's ex-prime minister gave a speech today. According to him, Europe has been divided into a two different camps now. The "Iron Curtain" separates these parts from each other, and the other half belongs to Russia ? ?

* * *

**April 5, 1946**

Russia finally retreated from the Danish island of Bornholm. It was first captured by Germany and then the Soviet's drove them away. But they never left from there (to tell the truth, they haven't actually left from several other locations either. Well, except from Norway's northern areas. Its location is too important for England and I guess he doesn't want to anger him too much right now...) The case of Bornholm caused serious arguments between the Allies, and even with Denmark, who usually is not worried about Russia.

* * *

**April 18, 1946**

Today happened something really weird. I went with Russia to meet England, because they will decide about my arms limitations. Well, Russia threatened me, that he will make sure my army will be miniature size. Then, to Russia's surprise, England's demands were even more harsh than his!

Then Russia started to defend my rights to carry weapons. Said that if my rights are limited so much, it will insult my honor. And he said that nobody in his right mind can't imagine, that I would ever attack against anyone, except maybe against him, but that shouldn't be England's problem.

I just watched them as they were arguing. Their relations are getting worse. It was not a good sign that England wants to limit my army so much, he's clearly afraid it will be used in Russia's favor. Well, anyway, unfortunately for me, England won this argument.

* * *

**August 13, 1946**

Today, in France's place, those countries who were on the lost side were allowed to say their views about what's happening right now and their wishes etc.

Italy was first. He complained about his new border arrangements, and said the demand for war reparations is too high for him.

Then were Hungary's, Romania's and Bulgaria's turn. They, well, thanked Russia, because he has been really generous towards them (?). Then they criticized the other Allies, and Bulgaria informed he is going to keep those areas he conquered with Germany from Greece.

To this Russia said, that it looks like Italy is still as bad as he used to be, but those three are clearly getting rid of imperialism and are going towards the true democracy. That's why he suggested, that they should let Bulgaria to keep the area. This made America spit his drink out of his mouth.

My speech was fine, at least I thought so, but Russia said I sounded similar with Italy. And his boss whispered to my ear, that I shouldn't complain so much, after all, nobody occupied me, and he have _heard_ it's not anything fun to experience...

* * *

**September 1, 1946**

England and America called their citizens who are currently here to leave and return back home immediately. Really bad sign! I wonder what's happening behind the scenes again? It's also even harder to get loans from America... But those American ships that sell me army surplus items are still sailing. Russia knows about them, is eyeing them, but luckily they doesn't seem to bother him?

* * *

**July 19, 1947**

America is talking about the Marshall Plan. He will loan money to countries to help them to recover from the war. And I guess there's no limitations who can get it!

* * *

**June 8, 1947**

Russia told me, that he doesn't accept my participation in the Marshall Plan. It's America's evil imperialist scheme, and because we haven't ratified our peace treaty yet, I should really consider what I will do. It's also anti-Soviet, and according to our treaty, I'm not allowed to take part to anything that is anti-Soviet. And this was confidential, so I'm not allowed to tell this to anybody.

As if the others would not guess why I won't participate...

* * *

**June 21, 1947**

Finally some good news! I'll be the host of the Olympic games of 1952! Maybe this will succeed this time. And I hope it won't cost too much.

* * *

**August 30, 1947**

The peace treaty was finally ratified by Russia, England did it already earlier. And Russia has been in a good mood since... well, since I decided not to take part in the Marshall Plan.

* * *

**September 22, 1947**

Russia and his new... hm, friends... had a meeting in Poland's place. Russia gave a speech, where he described how the world is now divided into two groups; the other group is ruled by America, and the other, anti-imperialist and anti-fascist one, is ruled by the Soviet Union. This group includes those countries who have already cut their ties with imperialism, and also those who are going towards the true democracy; like Hungary, Romania, and... me.

There must be a third group. I can't join that first group, but I don't want that kind of "democracy" he's speaking about either. People's democracy... Huh.

* * *

**September 23, 1947**

The Allied control commission will leave today. I can't say I will miss them. I was afraid they will be here forever. We burned all the furnitures from the hotel, just in case.

But of course that military base is still here. It's already in use, it was quite empty for a while when the war was still going on... but now... I need to... watch it... My marshal even suggested that I should move my capital back to where it used to be, but I can't really do it without causing panic.

* * *

**October 3, 1947**

I would have liked to join to the United Nations, but Russia and Poland were against it. It was because the western countries refuse to take the Balkans in. So, if they can't join, I can't join either. I wonder what I have to do with the Balkans?

Maybe this was a good thing. There you need to interfere in the affairs of all kinds. And if it's anything like the League of the Nations, it's not worth it. And they are also criticizing my habit to use different drugs. They are used as medicines, I'm not hooked on them! I can't afford to buy that new medicine, penicillin or what was its name, so what they want me to do? They say I'm using them more than Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Iceland - combined... I told them to mind their own business.

* * *

**December xx, 1947**

I'm not sure does Russia understand, that after the control commission left, he shouldn't come here without my permission anymore. At least he should knock first. Fortunately he usually leaves when I ask him to.

He's constantly talking about a military pact. He tries to make me to propose something like that to him, so it would sound like it was my idea. I'm trying to ignore him.

* * *

**February 22, 1948**

My boss got a letter from Russia's boss... it's his personal handwriting. He recalls, that I and Russia haven't signed a mutual defence treaty yet. Even Hungary and Romania have done so, but I haven't... He wants radical improvement to our relations. Why he always thinks us as a group? And what does a "radical improvement" mean?

I don't want it. Never wanted, not before the war not now... well, expect in -45 my marshal talked with Russia about it, but Russia wasn't interested.

Hungary's and Romania's treaty... they are obliged to go to war if somebody strikes against Russia, or the other countries mentioned in the treaty... and I guess they need to make pre-emptive strikes, too. That would mean that... I can't sign it!

There are also rumours about a coup d'etat. My hard line communist are planning something. My defence forces are also prepared, there are tanks on the street, just in case. My boss gave an envelope to my Commander of the Armed Forces. There are instructions what he should do if something happens to my boss. He gave envelopes also to two other generals, in case something happens to the commander. I don't like this at all.

* * *

**February xx, 1948**

There was a communists coup d'etat in Czechoslovakia! So Czechia and Slovakia are now communist, too.

Their situation was a bit too similar with me: also they had communists in their goverment, a minority, but also their minister of Interior was one of them. Because of that, their state police is full of communists, like mine is too.

But there are also differences... they are more positive about Russia, because he and France were the only ones who promised to protect them from Germany in -38... which never happened, but anyway... And he helped them to get rid of Germany later.

Some people think, that I will be the next one. They are already placing bets "Czechoslovakia last week, Finland this week".

* * *

**March 12, 1948**

There's been a lot of rumours, that soon Norway will get a proposal about a military pact from Russia. Norway is a bit worried, but he has discussed with England and America, and they think that his safety is one of the most important things at the moment, so maybe he doesn't need to worry (unless it's just a promise they can't keep).

According to rumours, Russia would love to have at least his Varangerfjord and he's interested in Svalbard. Norway is surely grateful because Germany is now gone, but probably not _that_ grateful... Too bad there's no way to know is this true. But they seem to take it seriously.

* * *

**March 23, 1948**

I sent a message to America, and asked him did they agree about... any spheres of influences back then, when the Allies were still together. America answered, that he knows nothing about anything like that. But Russia said... Well, never mind. I'll ask him again later.

* * *

**March 29, 1948**

Today, I climbed to the train to Moscow. I'm going to negotiate about that military pact with Russia, maybe it will calm the situation in my place. I only hope he'll listen what I want to say too.

It's almost like nine years ago. People started to gather around me, singing. It was the same song... The only difference was, that this time my communists tried to sing the International, but the others managed to outsang them quite easily. It was a pretty impressive event.

* * *

**April 6, 1948**

The Agreement of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance (AFCM) was signed today. Russia agreed surprisingly easily on my terms, even if he first wanted a similar treaty as the other treaties are. Maybe this was better than nothing to him?

So, I only need to defend my area against Germany or his allies (why Germany, when he's not in any shape to fight, I don't know)... and if necessary... ask Russia's help to do so. Help isn't automatic, as it's in the other treaties and there's no obligation for pre-emptive strikes. So Sve and Norway are safe from me.

But by signing this treaty, the countries in the west think this is only the beginning of the end for me. Again. And that it doesn't really matter what the treaty says, Russia is a bigger player in this game. He can stage a threat in any time he wants. Make me ask for help. My situation is not dangerous - it's hopeless (They really know how to make me feel better...)

Well... true. But if somebody tries to organize a coup or claim that I asked for help, the only thing I can do is show to the world this was not really my decision. Back to the suicide plan again. Alone, this time.

* * *

**June 7, 1948**

Elections are held soon... today, Russia wanted to watch a film with me. Its name was "Song of Siberia", or something like that.

Is he trying to hint something, or does he just think it's a good movie and that I should see it too...? Oh, and I ousted that communist interior minister of mine. He made a serious mistake when he deported my citizens away, and this was the prize. And I don't want him to be in control of the police forces when the time of the elections comes.

* * *

**June 24, 1948**

Russia reduced my reparations debt this month. Now it's only 226,5 million! He said I should thank my communist ministers of that, but now, after the elections, it looks like my communists lost their positions in the government anyway. They didn't get enough votes, so they were kicked out.

And right now the former allies have a serious fight about Germany. Not good, when the AFCM-treaty is aimed against a threat from Germany. I hope I'll not get involved in this.

Uh, and Russia doesn't like one of my new minister's. He's a Swedish speaker, so he claims that he's in reality an agent of Sweden, and his job is to take Åland away from me. I... I don't know what to say...

* * *

**January xx, 1949**

We - Denmark, Norway, Sve, and I - have discussed about possibilities to form a Scandinavian defence union, even though I'm not Scandinavian, but who cares (I don't know why Iceland doesn't want to take part). Well, according to Sve, I need to ask permission from Russia to join, otherwise it's too risky. Which is kinda humiliating, but I did so anyway.

Russia told me to forget those Nordic dreams. He said he saw what that Scandinavian cooperation was during the war, and that they are bad influence to me. And that it's America's scheme to increase his influence in the area. If I really need some other friends besides him, I could hang with Hungary or Romania instead.

* * *

**April 4, 1949**

America and the others founded NATO. It's a defence union... I guess they are getting more and more nervous because of the Soviets. They are now much closer to those western countries than they used to be.

Norway was ready to join immediately, even if Denmark tried to make that defence union with Sweden and Norway to work. I guess Norway wants real security guarantees. And so Denmark and Iceland joined too. Sweden considers joining. I can't join.

* * *

**August 1, 1949**

I'm still keeping paying my old loans to America, only few millions to go! America suggested, that part of these payments could be set aside for a scholarship fund. Some of my students could come to his place next year and study in his universities. That sounds great! Maybe I should invest in education seriously?

* * *

**January 16, 1950**

Russia has been somewhat annoyed towards me since my communists lost their positions in my government. His newspapers are mocking me almost every day.

Today he sent me a note. He wants me to return his citizens who are still here. He specifically demanded the surrender of 65 of the fugitives for "treason. I don't know where they are, propably not here anymore and he knows that very well. He just wants me to change my government, there are right now too many social democrats and he still hates them. He said they are like turnips: outer part is red, but from inside they are white.

And he asked do I like America more because he has more money.

* * *

**June 16, 1950**

I signed a trade agreement with Russia yesterday. Today, he held a dinner party to celebrate this. His boss also participated, he was in a very humorous mood and stayed with us over the midnight.

His boss started to talk about steel with me. He asked where I get my steel. When I answered that from Sweden he said it's not a good thing. He thinks that I should produce my steel myself. Foreign steel is dull during the time of a crisis - what I'm going to do if war starts and I need to close my borders? He said Russia can help me if I don't know how to produce steel.

I didn't like how he said that, about closing borders and war, and when I hesitated, he said that I could also sell steel products to others, he happens to know that China may need a lot of steel. And I can make cannons from steel. Who would defend a country who doesn't even have cannons. Even Russia looked a bit worried when he said so.

* * *

**September xx, 1950**

I got a message from America and England. They inform me, that they have come to a consensus that they will not give any kind of assistance to me in the case of a possible Soviet attack. That was kinda obvious, but at least now it's official.

* * *

**July 19, 1952**

The 1952 Summer Olympics started today! The Soviets wanted to take part to the games for the first time, too. First Russia thought their teams could fly here and back every day, or stay in his military base, but then I promised to organize a separate accommodations for them. They don't want to be with everybody else.

There are serious problems with now-communist China and Formosa, but he managed to participate too. America agreed to participate only after he received a report about my political situation (and he brought me bubbling and brown lemonade, he said it tastes like him, uh). Germany will take part under the supervision of France, but Prussia (I guess he is East-Germany nowadays) can't join. Israel didn't have the Olympic committee yet, but in the end it didn't matter.

The games were almost canceled because the Korean war two years ago, but I guess we can make through this event peacefully.

* * *

**July 25, 1952**

That military base is like a knife aimed straight towards my heart. I usually pretend it doesn't even exist, even if it's quite noisy sometimes. I don't think I would otherwise stay sane.

Well, at least Olympic tourists have fun. A railway goes through the area where the military base is. I have a permission to use the railway, but when the train enters into the forbidden area, we need to put iron barriers in front of the windows, pay an entrance fee, and allow Russian soldiers to enter to the train. It's like a huge, dangerous tunnel to the tourists. They are so excited it's almost annoying... well, they don't need to live here.

* * *

**18 September, 1952**

Finally! Finally, I managed to pay the whole reparations debt to Russia. I'm going to have a party later!

... ... ...

Author's Notes: This is not supposed to be a history book, so certain mistakes may occur. Dates with xx are uncertain, only the year might be right... or wrong. Sometimes there are different dates. Nothing special to say. That note from England that Finland has all the symptoms of a nervous breakdown, well, it's actually from the British documents from the same year. Somebody reported that "but on the whole the country shows the symptoms of a man suffering from nervous collapse."

- Years 1944-1949 are called in Finland as the Years of Danger.

- _600 million now_ - Today the sum would be 4,5 billion.

- _145 of them will be Russia's and about 15 England's_ - More precisely, 145 of them will be from from the Soviet Union and 15 from Britain. I guess some of them were Ukrainian, Belarusian, Scottish etc. but not Balts.

- _War against Germany is still going on, they are both busy_ - I guess they would have been too busy to fly constantly to Finland's house. Maybe it would have make more sense to make Finland been held somewhere instead of being home.

- _Operation Stella Polaris_ - The U.S. Office of Strategic Services bought material in secrecy, informing only the U.S. President, but not the U.S. State Department. Also Japan, Britain and France were interested to get this material. (Stella Polaris = North Star). Later America started to feel bad because they were buying information about their own allies. So, he returned some papers to the Soviet Union...

- _Russia hates my social democrats_ - They called all social democrats as Social-faschists, and Finnish ones were "brother's-in-arms-socialists". It's not hard to guess where that came from, even if they were the ones mostly against the whole war. And Germans hated them also.

- _And then I yelled something to him in German_ - "Generaloberst!", and then switched back to Russian. Or maybe in this case to the language all the nations are speaking.

- _My social democrats won the elections, communists came second_ - Not going to write about Finland's political system, but Social Democrats got 25.08% of the votes, Communists 23.47%, and the Agrarian party 21.35% (or like the Soviets called them, the Kulak party). Then there were a lot of smaller parties. Biggest party forms the goverment.

- _Well, except from Norway's northern areas. Its location is too important for England_ - It was agreed already in August 1944, by British and American members that they make sure Russians won't stay in Norway. It would threaten the North Atlantic trade routes and Iceland, which location is important for America.

- _And my new minister of the Interior deported some of my citizens to Russia_ - They were Russians who had a Finnish citizenship. Finland got few of them back in 1955, at the same time when that military base was returned. One of them was found to be a Soviet spy later.

- _I went with Russia to meet England because they will decide about my arms limitations_ - This was decided already in 1945 between Russia and England. Finland heard about this in 1946. So, in reality Finland didn't know who was the one who wanted to limit his arms, and who was the one who defended his, um, rights.

- _And also those who are going towards the true democracy_ - To them, freedom of speech, independence and democracy was sheer hypcracy as bourgeois states couldn't be free, independent or democratic but only puppets of imperialist powers. Really free, independent and democratic were only states that were connected with Soviet Russia.

- _My speech was fine, at least I thought so, but Russia said I sounded similar with Italy_ - The Soviet delegation was very angry because the Finnish representatives didn't praise Stalin about the noble peace like did the representatives of Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria. And the next day the Finnish communists had a demonstration because the Finnish representatives behaved so badly and the Soviet newspapers mocked them too. And the Soviets warned against taking advantage of the argument the Allies currently had.

- _The peace treaty was finally ratified_ - A peace treaty with the Soviet Union, Britain, Australia, South African Union, India, Canada, Czechoslovakia, the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, New Zealand and the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic was brought into force.

- _There was a communists coup d'etat in Czechoslovakia_ - It was a bloodless revolution. Communism had much more positive meaning in Czechoslovakia than in Finland (at least right now). So, something like that would have caused a bigger fight in Finland .

- _I sent a message to America and asked him did they agree about... any spheres of influences_ - Actually, they asked this two times.

- _The only difference was, that this time my communists tried to sing the Soviet Union's anthem_ - Well, it was the Internationale, it's not quite the same so I fixed it. Others were singing that Jumala ompi linnamme-song (A Mighty Fortress is Our God). I listened its lyrics, btw. Made me smile, know I understand why they choose that song, even if its Finnish lyrics are a bit different. And of course people were quite religious back then.

- _I need to ask permission from Russia to join, otherwise it's too risky for them_ - Because Finland already has that treaty with Russia.

- _There are serious problems with now-communist China and Formosa_ - Formosa = Taiwan.

- _Germany will take part under the supervision of France_ - In reality, it was Saarland, one of the sixteen states of Germany. But I don't really know how I should handle all these states... There are so many federations.

- _That military base is like a knife aimed straight towards my heart_ - Those bases were only rented, by the way. But I'm not sure did they actually pay the rent.


	10. The Cold War

**October 2, 1952**

Russia called once again, and complained that the movie I made about my reparations debt is too depressing, and its music sounds like something from someones funerals. It's supposed to sound dramatic! And then more complaints about my newspapers, and practically about everything else. I don't understand why he even cares about such things. He doesn't seem to understand, that the local newspapers are not under my control unlike in his place (Expect during the war times).

I had also problems with East Germany. He tried to make me recognize him as a country once again. I declined. But I don't think he will give up, he thinks it's my duty to recognize him because I'm Russia's neighbor. And like he says, because I'm Russia's good friend.

* * *

**March 9, 1953**

Russia's boss died few days ago. Wild rumors tell, that he was murdered, but apparently those mysterious doctors who he accused earlier have nothing to with his death. I don't even want to know what happened there...

I was in his funerals, mainly because I was invited there. I was the only non-communist country there... Russia was sad and confused because of his death. I guess he doesn't know who'll be his next leader.

* * *

**April 11, 1954**

Today was a really boring day. Really nothing happened! It was... more boring than boring days usually are!

* * *

**May 8, 1954**

There was an air combat inside my borders! But it wasn't me who was fighting, because of the peace treaty, I'm not allowed to purchase missiles. Not that I follow its orders very often anyway, I still have those weapons I was supposed to destroy... But nobody really follows it, so nobody cares if I ignore it sometimes as well.

Well anyway, suddenly an American plane rushed from Russia's place to my side of the border. The Russian plane chased the American plane all the way to the Swedish border, trying to crash it down. It got hit really badly, but apparently it managed to land safely to England's place?

Why can't they fly somewhere else, they are causing serious problems for me.

* * *

**June xx, 1954**

Sve hasn't joined Nato, at least not yet. So there's been some kind of "Northern Balance". Sve informed, that if something happens to me, he will join immediately to Nato. And in that case Norway and Denmark would probably allow foreign troops to land on their soil.

Although America said, that this could be used the other way around too; if Sweden or the others do something Russia doesn't like, he can threaten that something will happen to me if they don't cancel their intentions. America doesn't like this idea of balance.

* * *

**May 14, 1955**

Russia and those communist states in Eastern Europe signed the Warsaw treaty in Poland's place... it's a mutual defense treaty or something like that, attack against one of them is an attack against all of them, like with Nato... I guess they signed it now because last week West Germany joined to Nato. Russia didn't like that move.

Of course, I have signed the Agreement of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance with Russia, too, but it's different than those other treaties.

* * *

**July 27, 1955**

The Allies let Austria go. So, why I still need to be on parole? I want that military base away from here! I was on parole even before I did anything wrong...

* * *

**September 15, 1955**

Russia decided to return that military base back to me! I'm not sure why, but it may have something to do with the fact that he's trying to get America to give up military bases he has in other countries. They will leave soon.

Russia said that military base here was always kinda useless anyway, even during the wars (then why did you want it in the first place!). And that technology has advanced so much, you don't need to be so close the target to destroy it. He just needs to be like that, you can understand that sentence in two different ways!

Oh, and there was one condition; the Agreement of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance has to be extended by 20 years. But... maybe I can be neutral now? I mean, there are no foreign troops anymore, and I'm only obligated to defend my area, which I would do anyway; treaty or no treaty.

* * *

**December 6, 1955**

My birthday. Oh, and Russia, England, America, and France recognized Austria's wish to be forever a neutral nation. I would like to be neutral, too, it's not really a reliable option, but better than the most at the moment.

* * *

**December 14, 1955**

I was accepted as a member of the United Nations among with some other nations. Maybe this is a good organization after all. At least I'll know what they are talking there now. So nobody can make secret treaties so easily...

Oh, and I got rid of those old medicines.

* * *

**January 24, 1956**

Today, I checked the area where that military base used to be. Just to be sure it's safe for the people to move back to their homes. Russian soldiers had dug the graves upside down, and painted every building blue, I seriously don't understand why.

And you can still smell Russia there; it's that weird, sweet scent.

And returning this area caused also a little dispute... Most of the people who used to live there were Swedish speakers. So, now those Finnish speakers who also lost their homes say Russia is... kissing Sve's butt by doing this. Russia sent me a message where he stated clearly, that he's not kissing anyone's butt, especially not Sweden's.

Yes, my people are still fighting about the languages...

* * *

**January 27, 1956**

I was for the first time in the Nordic Council's meeting! It was held in Denmark's place. We all drank some coffee and talked about important stuff and then drank even more coffee. I haven't felt so... normal in years!

* * *

**March 1, 1956**

I got a new boss... he's my former prime minister. A bald man with glasses. Really sneaky. Everybody thinks he's on their side but at the same time they are not sure on whose side he really is. I hope he's on my side. Russia seems to like him, even if his past is a bit dubious.

* * *

**October 23, 1956**

Hungary got enough of the current system and started a rebellion! In my place, well, here is some sort of a panic because of what is happening there, even though my boss keeps pattering that I must keep my cool, no matter what. He promised to see if he can do something, maybe talk to Russia. I don't think he will listen.

* * *

**October 29, 1956**

And now there's a crisis in Egypt's place too. England, France, and Israel are all somehow involved. America is angry to them and Russia threatens to aim nukes towards England and France.

Hungary is still fighting her own fight.

* * *

**February xx, 1957**

Russia approved at least in principle my wish to be a neutral nation. He wants to promote peaceful coexistence after all what has happened lately. China seems to be against this whole "peaceful coexistence" tactic Russia's using.

* * *

**November xx, 1958**

Something is wrong. Have been for months now. Russia suddenly stopped all the trade with me... and that trade is really important to me. It's really quite big because of those earlier reparations.

He only said our relations have been harmed by nasty night frosts. Night frosts? Is that a Cold War pun? And I know why he's like that, he hates my current goverment once again. Not that he definitely wants communists there anymore, just people he likes or trusts. Or at least doesn't hate. Now there are two he doesn't like.

America called and said, that he can help me economically if I want, but I refused; It would cause more trouble than be helpful.

* * *

**January 24, 1959**

My government needed to resign because of those "night frosts". And Russia said, that of course I have the right to choose my own government, but he has also the right to show what he thinks about it. Because we are friends, he makes sure I don't do anything stupid so he doesn't need to hurt me, because friends don't hurt each other.

Sve thinks our friendship isn't very healthy. Although I have to admit, when Russia is in a good mood he can be really likeable. So Sve is a bit unfair. And maybe I'm a bit lonely too. There's really no one to whom I could talk - not that I could talk to Russia either. At least I hope I don't tell my worries to him. He likes to bring drinks with him, and I'm not sure does he drink himself as much as he serves to me. Now that's a really disturbing thought!

But it's true that my neutrality suffered a severe blow because of the Night frosts.

* * *

**October xx, 1959**

East Germany haven't given up. He decided to organize an exhibition in my house. Its theme is basically "Ten years of awesome me", or something like that. West Germany warned me beforehand about this.

I haven't recognized either Germany as a country. So, East Germany tries to make sure he will be the first one to be recognized by me. That would somehow be a huge victory for him. And West Germany said he will cut all the ties with countries who recognize his brother (excluding Russia and the other Soviets). And I can't recognize only West Germany, that would cause trouble from the another direction.

So basically East Germany organizes now and then huge events here, where he mocks West Germany and other capitalist states (except me, that would be counterproductive) and then West Germany calls me and tolds me what his brother has done this time. And wants me to do something about it.

East Germany or the other Warsaw pact countries never mock me, at least not openly... it's almost like as if they have agreed that only Russia has the right to do so. It's creepy in its own way.

* * *

**September 4, 1960**

Russia and his boss visited. I told Russia, that even if the whole world becomes communist and one with him, I will not. Except if my people want so, but I seriously doubt they will. So, if he thinks this "peaceful coexistence" will slowly turn me into one, he is wrong. Russia giggled, he said I can become an open-air museum, where they can come to see what life was like in a capitalist country.

* * *

**August 13, 1961**

There's again something serious going on around Germany's and his brother's houses. Rumours tell, that East Germany will be separated completely from West Germany with a wall! A wall? Can somebody really build a wall between two nations? Is it even possible? Well, China has the wall... but it's different.

* * *

**October 10, 1961**

Now that everything seems quite calm again (they're really building a wall there!), I have plenty of time to visit... Canada. Yes, and after that I'll visit his brother. My boss will come too.

* * *

**October 30, 1961**

I was touring in Hawaii's place with America, when Russia suddenly sent me a note (and to Germany, Denmark, and Norway, too). According to him, the threat from Germany is rising again. Wolfs of war are howling at the Baltic sea... What? Just a moment ago the latest crisis ended...

He wants me to come back right now from my journey to negotiate with him about what we are going to do now, because we have the AFCMA treaty. How will we protect our borders from Germany and his allies... And we need to discuss about certain newspapers of mine, according to him, they're trying to cause a war neurosis to me. And he's sure I don't want to turn back to that bad nation who attacked him.

America thinks it's ridiculous to think that Germany would be any threat to anybody nowadays, as his former boss is dead, and he has soldiers in Germany's area anyway. He's sure this is Russia's evil plan... I remarked, that perhaps Russia really is worried about Germany, that attack against him was harsh, and maybe he has traumas or something. America looked me as if I was an idiot.

I asked my boss what he will do next. He just said he will go to swim, like if he was not surprised at all. Weird! So, I answered nothing to Russia.

* * *

**November 24, 1961**

Everything is alright with that Note Crisis now. Russia said he believes there's no threat from Germany, and we don't need to discuss about military matters if I don't want to. I don't understand what this was all about... Russia said it was also a warning to Germany, Denmark, and Norway, I don't need to worry about it.

I seriously don't understand him at all...

* * *

**August 6, 1962**

Last ten days were awful! Russia wanted to organize an youth festival in my place. Usually, they have had these parties in communist countries, but Austria also had one two years ago. I was against, and so was America, who kept calling to me. Well, I finally agreed - but it was a big mistake.

Guests from all over the world, fighting, shouting, screaming, and America and England & bros tried to organize their own festivals at the same time here. 140 people were arrested, and East Germany was furious when 14 people of his took advantage of the chaos and escaped to the west.

Russia is angry. Well, I warned him beforehand!

* * *

**October 15, 1962**

There's a serious danger that this "cold war" is going to turn hot soon... Cuba is allied with the Soviets, hates America, and Russia is ready to give some nuclear missiles to him... because America has given missiles to Turkey and Italy.

* * *

**February xx, 1964**

America's Air Attaché told me today, that they suspect I have a secret defense cooperation with Russia. If the rumors proved to be true, I "would without mercy become a victim of a devastating attack". Great. I'm sure they know I'm being threatened from the other direction as well, so it really doesn't matter who will destroy me if the nuclear war starts. And what secret cooperation? They have become more hostile after I got that note from Russia couple years ago. They refuse to speak about my neutrality.

* * *

**March 12, 1964**

My boss visited Estonia. He kept a speech to his people - in Estonian! Later he told me, that Russia said that if I stop keeping contact with those Estonians aboard I can meet Estonia! Yes, I want to, I haven't seen him in years! Certain countries think I will this way recognize Estonia as a part of the Soviet Union - no way. I have never recognized it, and I hope I never need to.

* * *

**July 1, 1968**

The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty was signed today! It was originally Ireland's idea, but it was fun to sign - I'm not allowed to obtain nuclear weapons anyway, ha ha, so now it's almost like my own decision. Other countries signed it too... almost all the great powers have nukes already, even if they were used only during the war against Japan.

Sve told me, that even he considered to obtain nukes earlier, but decided now not to.

* * *

**July 17, 1968**

Something bad will happen soon. The atmosphere is really tense. Russia is sending warning signals to Czechoslovakia, but Czechia and Slovakia don't seem to see them, or maybe they are just ignoring them? They want to renew their political system. It's too much for the other Soviets.

And then there's something wrong between China and Russia... They are arguing all the time. And China is clearly trying to get Russia's... friends... to turn to his side. But I guess Albania was the only one who switched sides. China visited here too... shoo, I'm not part of the block!

* * *

**August 21, 1968**

Russia and some other Warsaw pact countries attacked against Czechoslovakia last night. I guess it happened at midnight, because my phone started to ring around then, but I didn't answer.

A lot of Russia's ships sail near my coasts now. They come suddenly even closer, almost over the sea border, and then as suddenly turn back. I wonder what they are doing? I'm ready to fire a warning shot...

* * *

**May xx, 1969**

Russia refuses to recognize my neutrality anymore! Well, he sometimes talks about it when he speaks with others, but to me he said he doesn't want to hear anything about my neutrality from me. I speak too much about it, it has annoyed him already years. We're tied together by the friendship treaty! I don't even need my own army because he will protect me from everybody (From who?)... That's... way... too... close!

* * *

**August xx, 1970**

America said, that sometimes he's not sure is it me or Russia who is speaking when I start talking. He has been also worried about my radio stations for a long time now, so much positive stuff about Russia and so much negative about him. I haven't noticed anything like that. What's he talking about? He called me a blind mirror.

Some countries even talk about Finlandization... It means a process how an independent country slowly turns into someones satellite. And that country doesn't even notice that himself. Denying it is the last symptom. Even Sve said I sometimes act a bit weird way. Nonsense!

* * *

**February xx, 1971**

Russia's ambassador got suddenly sick (they told me he got a heart attack) and left. Russia sent me a message where he told he didn't try anything funny. Good to know. I didn't even notice that he would have tried to do something funny, but, well, good thing that nothing happened?

Well, he did bluster that I don't believe anything else than tanks and that I should be put under control.

* * *

**May xx, 1971**

I don't like how certain countries are sure that I'm Russia's errand boy. Sure, sometimes I may deliver messages from him, but that's because I live so close to him and if I'm already going to go to meet somebody, so why wouldn't I do a favor? They are also sending messages using me!

* * *

**November 24, 1972**

I recognized both Germanies at the same time. Now I was free to do so, because they recognized each other couple days ago. So, I guess I don't see East Germany so often anymore... unless he comes here to promote communism, like he does sometimes. They all do that...

* * *

**February 23, 1973**

Russia informed, that he has had enough of certain badly behaving tourists of mine. From now on, they will not get fines anymore, but they are placed in confinement, and their hair will be shaved off. Well... hm... Okay.

* * *

**July 30, 1973**

Okay, now there's the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe meeting in my place. Russia tried to organize something like this earlier, but it didn't work. So, I tried. But unlike Russia, I invited America and Canada too. Well, and to my surprise they all agreed to take part.

It's quite simple actually: Russia won't invite America, and America wouldn't listen him anyway if he did so. Now, when I do it, pretending it was my idea, they are free to listen my "ideas" without _obeying _each other's wishes, when they actually do so.

The worst thing is, that now they think me even more like some sort of a errand boy, but this meeting may be useful to everyone - an East-West forum.

* * *

**February xx, 1976**

America wants to make a new movie. Its name will be "Telefon". And why I write about this? Well, I need to play Russia's part in the film because Russia himself doesn't want to have anything to do with American films.

America said that I look a little bit like Russia. I'm just smaller which is good, because that way he will look much bigger in the film. And that I will get a good payment for this... It's not even the first time I'm doing something like this. I have played also Ukraine's role before. It was Germany's movie.

Well, about this movie. In shortly, somebody tries to hypnotize America by the phone. It fails and he thinks it was Russia. But he's innocent, and they need to work together to clear this mess.

* * *

**June xx, 1977**

Great... Just great... Russia had a large military exercise at the Baltic sea. I'm not sure what is wrong again, but his enemy targets had my national symbols. Apparently something is irritating him again.

* * *

**July xx, 1978**

Here is a crisis again! Russia wants to have military maneuvers with me! He said he could teach me to be a real killing machine! Who should I kill?

I don't want! That would crush my image as a neutral nation completely. And it's almost destroyed anyway. We had maneuvers already in -39, and that was enough for me. I'm going to avoid this like the plague! Foreign newsmen asked have Russia suggested maneuvers to me, and I lied to them that he haven't.

I'm pretending I don't hear him.

* * *

**January 10, 1980**

America is angry with me. Russia and some other Soviets attacked against Afghanistan last year (interfered in his civil war actually, Russia says Afghanistan wanted him there?) and America thinks I have been too quiet about the whole thing. He says I should say something about the situation, because Afghanistan is a small country who lives near Russia - just like me.

He's not a small country from my perspective and my crying doesn't help him one bit. Of course I'm worried about him, but what does he expect me to do? Attack against Russia? By the way, Afghanistan's treaty with Russia is almost identical with my treaty with Russia...

The United Nations demanded Russia to withdraw his troops, but because Russia is a nation who has the veto right along with America, England, France, and China, he used his veto against the decision.

* * *

**December 4, 1983**

Sve has been in a really bad mood lately. He found a Russian submarine from his side of the border couple years ago. He was sure he's been watched, and he searched marks from the Soviet subs for a long time, and then he finally found a boat that had been stuck on the rock for apparently nearly 10 days.

Sve's obsession with those submarines now is kinda funny, but it causes arguments between us. Sve thinks I don't believe him when he says he's seen even more submarines.

Russia just laughs. He said to me, that I can tell Sweden that he can shoot every submarine he sees. According to Russia, most of those subs are America's anyway, and he doesn't care what happens to them. Maybe... there's been rumours, that Sve has been a secret member of Nato for who knows how long, since -52. So if the situation gets critical, he gets help and is danger to me too. But I can't be sure...

* * *

**January 4, 1984**

Russia hit me with a missile last month... but it was just an accident really. It flew over Norway, and it crashed somewhere here. I tried to keep quiet about it, because I haven't found it yet and I didn't want to cause a conflict, but Norway told about it to others couple days ago. Oh, and today Russia called and said he's sorry. I guess he called to Norway too. This was new...

* * *

**April 28, 1986**

A very serious nuclear accident in the Soviet Union couple days ago. In Ukraine's area to be exact... and I guess her sister suffered the most of it.

I got nervous when I heard that the radiation levels are increasing here surprisingly fast, but I thought the meters are broken. Sve informed me about the radiating soon also. And today Russia informed what happened there. I asked my people not to eat berries or mushrooms or anything from outside. At least right now.

Not that this would be the first time I get an alarming amount of radiation... those nuclear tests Russia made in Novaya Zemlya... I'm still radiating. Not to mention what's the case with Sami... He lives even closer.

* * *

**August 31, 1986**

My ex-boss died... that sneaky, bald one. He was my boss 26 years... usually he was the only candidate to be my boss. Not very democratic...

* * *

**January 4, 1987**

Okay, I won the ice hockey's world junior championship... but only because Russia and Canada started to fight with each other. Nobody was able to make them stop, not even Norway. So, they were both disqualified, and I was declared as the winner.

* * *

**October 27, 1989**

Finally, Russia is ready to recognize me as a neutral country, and not as his ally or something weird like his... errand boy. His boss also visited me.

* * *

**September 21, 1990**

From this day on, I decided that some parts of the Paris Peace Treaty are no longer valid. And England or Russia, who has more serious problems right now than this, didn't say anything against. I'm only keeping the treaty where I promised I'm not going to obtain any nuclear weapons.

* * *

**February 25, 1991**

My population is a little bit over 5 million now!

* * *

**August 20, 1991**

Estonia declared, that from now on he's independent once again. That whole union seems to be crumbling down. Estonia wasn't the first who managed to leave.

Oh, and Estonia was angry to me because I wasn't more encouraging towards him. Well, my boss wanted me to be careful, I still have my treaties with Russia.

* * *

**January 20, 1992**

The AFCMA treaty is no longer valid. I and Russia signed an ordinary treaty about our relations. He didn't look so healthy, he's still quite unstable...

... ... ...

**Author's Notes:** This is not supposed to be a history book, so certain mistakes may occur. Dates with xx are uncertain, only the year might be right... or wrong. Sometimes there are different dates xD. Prussia is East Germany in this case. I can't remember is that canon, and I guess in reality he should be dead, but oh well...

- _I had also problems with East Germany_ - According to the archives of both Germanies, in East Germany, Finland was considered a weak link of capitalism, which could be influenced. Even "the smallest of victories in the Finnish direction" were seen as huge steps forward. East Germany was also completely under Soviet control in its policies towards Finland.

- _Sve hasn't joined Nato, at least not yet_ - However, it is said that Sweden has been a silent member of NATO since the end of World War II. There were a lot of rumours about this in Finland already during the Cold War.

- _It's not really a reliable option_ - There were 15 neutral countries in Europe before the war. Only four of them survived without war.

-Finland was quite isolated country in the 60s-70s, or like somebody said "A girl grown up in a barrel", eg larger immigration to Finland started only in the 90s. The Eurovision song contest was almost the only connection to the rest of the Europe (not counting Sweden, the Soviet Union etc. And not necessary with their people but goverments). Too close relations would have caused too much trouble. It was called as the "playpen theory" by somebody - Russia kinda went nuts when Finland's ties got too close with the western countries. Of course people were free to travel, but it was still too expensive for the most people.

- _Not that he definitely wants communists there anymore_ - Finland had communists in its goverment also later... But they were figuratively "embraced to death". Those moderate ones got a change to work together with the other parties. So no need for any revolutions... and they were a bit worried too about the possible consequences that a revolution could cause. Hard liners were of course hard liners - in Finland they were called as the Taistoists. The Soviet Union liked them the most. Some people think they are still working, eg. telling Russia sensational stories about series of persecutions of Russians in Finland after a couple of house burglary cases (which is a serious matter, but the call it a genocide). They also think Estonia's independence is only a temporary thing. Not sure are they those Taistoist or a entirely a new bunch.

- _I was against, and so was America, who kept calling to me_ - This was what the Americans thought: "Rather, in Finland the Soviets could be seen as using a new strategy, a more gradual approach that would sooner or later bring that problem child into the Kremlin's arms." I guess it was sometime during the 50s when they decided to try to prevent this at all costs - excluding war.

- _I told Russia, that even if the whole world becomes communist -_ A direct quote from Khrushchev and Kekkonen.

- _We're tied together by a friendship treaty! That's... way... too... close!_ - Soviets: Whose side are you really on? Finland: I told you I'm neutral, but I prefer peace. Soviets: Hm... Finland: Huh? Soviets: So you're on our side! Finland: Hey, wait a minute...! Of course, to them, peace=socialism. And: "Under no circumstances should you call Finland a neutral country; it is our ally and has a treaty of mutual assistance with us". Finland: I'm not!

- _Because my phone started to ring around then, but I didn't answer_ - Representative of the Soviet Union called to the Finnish president, but he was already asleep. They wanted to tell him what is happening, so that he don't need to hear it from somebody else. At first, they claimed that Czechoslovakia asked them to come to help them, but when the president didn't believe it and began to sulk, they told the real reason too.

- _Some countries even talk about Finlandization_ - Finlandization is a bit tricky thing to write. It's sometimes exaggerated, sometimes trivialized... e.g. There was a time, when every important Finnish politican received a surprising companion from the Soviet Union. They were called as "Home Russian" (kotiryssä in Finnish, not very polite word (that ryssä part, unless you are reaaally old)), but they used it about themselves sometimes too), and they wanted to just "keep them company" and chat (about who knows what). And well, the politicians got so used to them, that it was later almost shameful if you didn't have one. It meant that they didn't think you're important enough to have one. So no wonder if Tino's head got a little bit messed - Finland was even sometimes called as a "laboratory". The public did not know about the system.

- _Its name will be "Telefon" _- Finland was Russia in "Doctor Zhivago "___, _"Billion dollar brain"___ , _"Telefon", "The Kremlin letter"___,_ "Reds", "Gorky park ___", _"The Jigsaw man", "White nights", "The Fourth Protocol___ "____, _"Stalingrad" (shared the role with Czechoslovakia ) and in "The Jackal "___. _Finland was also Finland in The Jackal. And the reason why those "Russian" parts were filmed in Finland was the fact that Finland had snow... yes, snow and Orthodox Churches. And couple buildings that look very Russian.

- _Russia hit me with a missile last month_ - It was a dud and it sank to lake Inari___.  
_


	11. The Present Moment

**March 18, 1992**

I would like to join to the European Community. So I left my application there today.

Sve left his application even earlier. He didn't tell anything about it to me or Norway (I guess not to Denmark or Iceland either) and we were a bit amazed about that... well, Norway was more like furious, because we all had agreed we will tell things like this to each other. I guess Sve had his reasons, or didn't think it was that important.

* * *

**April xx, 1992**

I realized something disturbing; America's world map. In it, Russia and ex-Warsaw pact countries are red, America and Nato are white, neutrals are grey, but I'm pink! Pink! America said that I need to understand that I was acting somewhat weird. And that he needed to be constantly worried that, for example, Germany or Japan will turn like me if he doesn't keep them company all the time. Pink!

* * *

**May 22, 1992**

Germany and France said they will support my, Sve's, and Austria's applications to the European Community.

Germany has helped me a lot with all the paper work. Well, France too, but he's more skeptical about my condition - I have awful depression right now. He would like me to wait couple years before joining. But Germany said he's sure I will make it if I just work hard and maintain a strict discipline.

* * *

**June 9, 1992**

Åland had self-government's 70-year anniversary party today.

* * *

**March xx, 1993**

I'm so sick... this is the worst recession I have ever had, and it has lasted already two years. I didn't even knew before this, that depression could feel this awful... And my people are somewhat resentful. I hope they will stay calm.

Estonia said, that if he could, he would would switch the situation with me at any time. He's in awful shape, but he's also hopeful.

* * *

**June xx, 1993**

I don't understand those people... They call themselves as Iriadamant's and say they want to examine how people can live in arctic conditions. They are dressed like native Americans and they want to live in my woods. Most of them are from France's place. They have been here already two years.

I guess their resident permit is terminated soon. There are too many weird rumours about them. I'm not sure are they true.

* * *

**September 28, 1994**

This is really horrible... and sad. A cruise ferry, Estonia's namesake, sunk in the Baltic sea. Hardly anyone survived.

Just as I thought it's been quite calm lately... at this corner of the world, that is. Of course there are wars, disasters, and fighting elsewhere like usually.

* * *

**January 1, 1995**

From now on, I'm a member of the European Union! Sve and Austria are also the newest members. At the end, Norway decided he doesn't want to join. He said he can manage on his own.

* * *

**January 25, 1995**

Norway told us, that Russia called and told him, that he almost started a nuclear war because of Norway. Russia thought that a Norwegian and American research rocket he saw on the radar was a nuclear missile and he was already ready to respond to it.

Only Norway can look so stoic when he tells something like that.

* * *

**May 7, 1995**

I can't believe it! I won! Ha ha ha! I won! I won gold in the Ice Hockey World Championships! I guess I'm going to celebrate this at least this whole week. A Month! A Year! The rest of my life!

* * *

**March 20, 1997**

America and Russia met at my place again. They occupied my living room and discussed about Nato and other security issues. Just couple days ago Russia announced, that he doesn't like the fact that I'm thinking of joining to Nato. He's sure they are trying to encircle him or something like that. He even drew me a picture about it. I wasn't even thinking to join to Nato, at least not now. I will not bother.

* * *

**March 1, 2000**

I have a new boss. Well, I thought it's worth of mentioning, because I have never had a woman as a boss before. I wonder if she is somehow different than her predecessors?

* * *

**September 11, 2001**

It... I mean, it must have been just some accident? I'm watching the news at the moment, but this doesn't look good at all.

* * *

**January 1, 2002**

I have a new currency now. I... I will miss my old markka, but I guess I will get used to this new one too. Euro, euro... yes, I guess I can get used to it. Some day.

* * *

**February xx, 2004**

My relations with Russia aren't very well right now. He's... nervous(?) because the Baltics will join Nato this year. He even tried to make me to talk to them because they listen me more than him. And because "they're your neighbours too". I don't want to. They can do what they want, it doesn't bother me, and they would only tell me that I'm "Finlandized" again. It's really annoying word.

* * *

**December 17, 2004**

I met Russia couple days ago. He seemed tired. And America was really curious to know what we talked about - like he always is. It wasn't anything important. His boss is stressed, that's all.

* * *

**May 1, 2004**

Estonia and his brothers joined the EU today! Oh, some other nations as well. Slovakia and Czechia, who separated already eleven years ago, joined too. And Hungary. And many others.

* * *

**May 20, 2006**

I won the Eurovision song contest! This was never supposed to happen. I mean, I have participated since 1961, but I have never been even close of winning. Well, I did win in the Intervision Song Contest in 1980, but it was a bit different victory...

* * *

**January 12, 2007**

Sve... bought a kid from EBay (does he really remember what we talked about 369 years ago)?

Well, I guess he tried to buy him, but it didn't work. Nevertheless, the kid is now here and calls Sve his papa. His name is Sealand, and he's one of England's brothers. He's quite small, a military base to be exact, but he wants to be the greatest nation one day.

* * *

**May xx, 2007**

I'm not sure what I should do. Estonia is arguing with Russia about some statue. Estonia wants to move it some place else, and Russia says it shouldn't be moved anywhere, ever. Huge dispute about something like that... I don't get it... annoying. I hope the situation will calm down soon.

* * *

**January xx, 2008**

I have a recession again and I don't feel very well. I really haven't completely recover from the earlier recession yet, so this is not a good thing.

* * *

**January 1, 2009**

It was 200 years ago when I... left from Sve's place. So this is a memorial year, or something like that. Sve said that we shouldn't call this an anniversary year, because we are not celebrating anything, we are just remembering the past.

So, we are going have some small events with Sve, and Russia too, but those two will not be here at the same time. It could end in disaster. And somehow I also think that this feels a bit strange, so no to any big events.

* * *

**January 16, 2009**

Sve published a commemorative coin for me. That's very thoughtful of him! I published a golden commemorative coin last year too. Sve got the other side of the coin - well, a crown symbolises him anyway. If you turn the coin other way around... there's an eagle too.

* * *

**May 4, 2009**

Oh, now Sve published stamps for me. That's... nice too. They even have pretty text on them; "One kingdom became two lands living freely and in peace" and "Together we are a song for the new day and the sun has risen". And "Two lands - one future".

And I guess this is an appropriate way to end this diary. Pages are already running out, so it's time to buy a new one.

... ... ...

Author's Notes: This is not supposed to be a history book, so certain mistakes may occur. Dates with xx are uncertain, only the year might be right... or wrong. Sometimes there are different dates xD. Diary from the beginning to this day... it's not 2009, but I thought some things are still just too fresh to write. And lots of things are missing from this diary, it would have been too long if I had added everything.

- _Norway was more like furious_ - If I remember right, Finland's representative said that they were just surprised, but you should have seen Norway's represantive; he got really, really furious.

- _Germany or Japan will turn like me if he doesn't keep them company all the time_ - This was only one of the reasons why America thought they needed company all the time.

- _Estonia's namesake, sunk in the Baltic sea. Hardly anyone survived_ - Out of 989 people, 852 died. Most of them were Swedes and Estonians.

- _But I guess I will get used to this new one too. Euro, euro_ - Finland is hesitaning, because people never got to vote do they want a new currency or not. It was said, that when you join the EU, you need to start using euro too... which is not true.

- _Well, I did win in the Intervision Song Contest in 1980_ - The Intervision Song Contest was the Eastern Bloc equivalent to the Eurovision Song Contest, it was held in Poland. Finland participated in both of them... Later it was called as the Sopot International Song Festival. In 1973, the Finnish song was called as "Blue and White" (sininen ja valkoinen). The audience applauded to it, but later one Polish official informed the singer, that the song can't win and he shouldn't sing it here again. They got a note from Moscow, that songs like this are not approved if the singer is not a communist. I guess this part of the song was a bit too much for them: Blue and white are the colors of freedom. The song was banned in Estonia.

- _I'm "Finlandized" again. It's really annoying word _- Nowadays it's almost forgotten word... however, sometimes you can find it from articles that tell about relations between China and Taiwan or ex-Soviet countries.

- _Sve... bought a kid from EBay_ - Swedish file-sharing website was planning to buy its own nation in an attempt to circumvent international copyright laws.

- I_t was 200 years ago when I... left from Sve's place_ - Finland was actually celebrating its birthday.


End file.
